Moving house can be exciting, present new opportunities or even just be a new change of scenery. Your removalist, although you might not think, can help you stay green and keep the environment in mind while you move.
While getting your house on the market, buying a new one, the fuss involved with packing, moving, and finally unpacking sounds like a lot of work, dealing with pets and cleaning are important factors that can also make your life a living hell. In all of that mess, people usually forget about one of the most significant issues of today—the environment. Moving house produce a lot of waste and cause CO2 emission. To understand how exactly moving can cause damage to Mother Earth, first, we must discuss where we are now when it comes to climate change.
The Environment
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the global temperature has increased between 0.6 and 0.9 degrees Celsius. The climate change is not something we expect will happen in the future—it is happening now. Glaciers are melting, the sea level is rising, animals are forced to move, and the precipitation patterns are significantly changed.
All of these factors are affecting people around the world by causing floods and droughts which leads to lack of food. It is estimated that in the future extreme weather events such as hurricanes will be much stronger and floods and droughts more common.
World leaders mostly agree that the problem of climate change is crucial and in that purpose, they have signed the Paris Agreement in 2016 and obliged to limit CO2 emission.
However, the CO2 is not our only problem. There is an initiative to ban a single-use plastics that severely affect marine life. Many countries have already banned the use of plastic bags and encourage their citizens to recycle.
Moving might not seem related to helping the environment, and you might not think it’s possible to move sustainably, but it is!
Declutter Your House Before You Move
Before you start packing, make sure you get rid of all of the items you no longer use or need. However, do not throw everything in the garbage.
You can recycle appliances and earn some extra money. There are numerous companies that can come to your house and pick up broken appliances and give you money in return for parts.
If you have clothes you no longer wear, donate it to a local charity organization or give it to a friend! Upcycling is a great way for your friends to save them cash.
You can also hold a garage sale to earn more money for yourself and get rid of all the stuff you do not need. You know what they say—“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. Give your items a better home, rather than just throwing them out and creating more waste. To learn more about how to declutter your home like a pro, read this article.
Reducing the amount of stuff while you are moving means you might need fewer vehicles to transport your items. This leads to lower carbon emissions!
Use Sustainable Boxes
Find reusable packing container companies such as Green Crates. They provide the containers, but you would have to still arrange the removalist truck. That’s where we come in! Go with a company that offers you the choice of packing yourself. It is a win-win!
You can also tell the company you would like to use your own, biodegradable boxes.
They are lighter yet stronger, and a great alternative to buying brand new carton boxes every time you move. You can even buy boxes, use them, and then sell them for recycling. If this service is not available in your area, you can take the boxes to the recycling company.
You could also ask around friends for any boxes they might have. Not only it encourages recycling but saves you money as well.
Be Mindful of the Materials or Items You Use When Moving
Again, ask around for any tools that you might not have to save yourself some trouble of buying new items like sticky tape, markers, and other packing essentials.
Tool Share is a great service that helps people connect and borrow each other tools. Unfortunately, the service is not free of charge. However, you can borrow stuff and save money on buying new things so it is not hard to break even.
If you plan to move, tell your friends to save old newspapers. Not only they can be recycled, but this method will reduce costs as well because you won’t be needing wrapping paper.
Replace Items With Sustainable Options or Zero-Waste Ones
Instead of buying bubble wrap, opt for your own linens or blankets! They are free – because you already own them – and they are great for protecting your items. Even beach towels are great for wrapping up delicate items. You can even purchase packing tape that can be recycled for sealing the boxes and biodegradable bubble wrap.
When it comes to cleaning products, always choose eco-friendly alternatives. Lemon and vinegar are the perfect green solution.
Final words
If you are planning to move to your new home, the environment is probably not the first on your priorities list. However, it should be. Going green while moving is not that hard, especially because it is a cheaper option. You can use various materials and then sell or recycle when you’re done with them, or opt for the ones you already have at home (linens and towels instead of wrapping paper). Even the way you pack can have an impact on the environment because you can reduce the number of trucks needed for transport.
