By Relocation.com Staff
As more and more Americans look to reduce their 'environmental footprint,' they're focusing on things they might not have considered before.
Consider green moving.
In recent years there's been a trend toward making a function that's historically been big on waste -- think of all the bubble wrap, discarded moving boxes and diesel-belching moving trucks -- and scaling it back a bit with some relatively easy changes.
Here are some easy ways you can make your next move a more environmentally friendly one.
Reusable Packing Crates:
When packing, take advantage of moving companies that are offering reusable packing crates. Moving companies generally prefer that customers use new cardboard boxes to ensure stability, which means a lot of cardboard boxes get tossed after only one use.
Put simply: don't accumulate as much stuff in the first place. Less is better for the planet, and the less stuff you move, the less gas your moving truck will burn. There's another benefit as well: more ‘green' for you because you'll fork over less cash for your move. There are lots of ways to get rid of your excess stuff.
Resuable Crates and Waste:
Reusable crates eliminate that waste. One such company that rents these crates is Earth Friendly Moving, which offers sturdy packing crates made of recycled plastic bottles. The company drops off the crates before you move and picks them up after in its fleet of bio-diesel trucks. Another firm offering a similar service is Rent-A-Crate, which offers moving crates that can be reused.
Cut Back on Bubble Wrap:
Use old newspapers for non-fragile items, or even old sheets or towels, for packing material. These weigh more and don't offer as much packing benefit as the lighter bubble wrap, but anything you can do to cut back helps. Check this article for more packing tips.
When cleaning up your old and new places, look for environmental friendly cleaning products. Most retailers carry them.
Hire a Green Moving Company:
Some moving companies are now touting their environmental friendly attributes by calling themselves "green" movers. One such firm is Go Green Moving, which bills itself as an environmentally friendly firm, with bio-diesel trucks, moving pads made of 100 percent recycled cotton, and the use of rentable crates for packing stuff. Of course, even if your moving company doesn't tout its enviro-friendly cred, still ask whether they use any of the above environmentally friendly practices. Indeed, the more movers hear consumers asking for and insisting on environmentally friendly moves, the more quickly the industry will continue adopting "green" ways.
Change Your Ways:
Finally, once the move is done, think about ways to change your ways. Can you stop junk mail? Step one is registering with the Mail Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association. It won't stop all the stuff you get daily in your mail, but it will help reduce at least a portion of it. Set up a recycling center in your new kitchen where it's easy and handy to separate out recyclables – so easy that you'll be sure to do it. And when you go shopping for a nonessential item, ask yourself a simple question: when the times comes to move again, do you relish the idea of moving it?