Can I make moving house less waste, Building relocation tips, Move home advice

How Can I Make Moving House Less Waste?

21 Mar 2021

There’s no denying that buying or renting a new house is an exciting experience – especially if you are finally moving to the country or city of your dreams. Or maybe, it’s the first time you’re on your own? Either way, moves almost always signify the starting of something new and different. However, as experts from Griffin Residential, an online estate agent say, no matter how dreamy the whole process might be, you should keep in mind that, if not done correctly, the moving can negatively impact the environment.

Want to know how exactly it affects the planet, and what can you do to minimize its impact? Keep reading:

How Does Moving Impact the Environment?

Now, you might be thinking – What does moving have to do with the environment? And even if, it can’t be that bad Well, both of those things have a lot to do with each other, and yes, it is bad.

First of all, moving can contribute to air pollution. After all, you are most likely going to use a moving company – take a look at our ultimate guide for first time hiring movers. The majority of moving vans run on diesel, which pollutes the air by emitting greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.

Secondly, most materials that are typically used to pack your belongings are not really eco-friendly. A few examples include cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, stretch wrap and styrofoam – all of them don’t decompose unless they are chemically treated.

Additionally, it can contribute to landfill waste. As you probably know, before you move, you need to organise and declutter your things. Many of them end up being thrown away. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you get rid of them correctly, some people literally just throw them away, abandoning them somewhere on the street or dumping them by the road.

How Can You Achieve a Low Waste Move?

The things we mentioned above are a small portion of how moving might negatively impact the environment. Thankfully, there are several ways in which you can decrease the amount of waste you create during the process, and therefore make it slightly more eco-friendly.

Declutter, Declutter, Declutter

Before you start preparing your old house for the move by packing all your belongings, take your time and go through every drawer, wardrobe, shelf, etc., you have in your house. Trust us, you will probably find piles of things that you forgot you even had, or that you simply didn’t use anymore. Also, take a look at the furniture – do you really need everything, or maybe there’s something that you wouldn’t mind getting rid of?

If you have food in your house, you should consider stopping buying new groceries a few days prior to the move – you’ll be able to use most of the things you already have, and therefore won’t have to take them with you.

Consider the Packing Materials You Use

Reuse Boxes from Local Retailers

Instead of buying new boxes from the store, ask around – maybe some of the retailers in your area have recently had quite a big delivery, and have a few of them laying around? A great resource are grocery stores. And, if you think about it, it’s actually a win-win – you get something to put your belongings into, and they are getting rid of items that occupy space they could use for other things.

If you aren’t a fan of used boxes, and would rather purchase new ones, opt for those made from recyclable materials.

Use Newspaper Instead of Packaging Paper

Although packaging paper is not that much of a threat to the environment (especially if you buy one made from recyclable materials), there’s no need for you to spend money on it, when you can use the good old newspaper.

Use Real Peanuts Instead of Packing Peanuts

Let us explain, and you’ll see that it makes sense. Instead of using packing peanuts, use what you have in your pantry – packs of pasta, nuts, or grains are perfect lightweight materials to use as padding to keep the more fragile stuff protected.

Some other materials that will work just as great for this purpose include extra dish rags, linens, clothes, and towels – that is, of course, if you don’t mind mixing up things from different areas of the house.

Quarter Fold Your Boxes Instead of Taping Them

Instead of using tape to secure your box, fold it by overlapping each flap, and tucking the last one into the beginning side. If you have troubles, and are not sure how to do it – which is completely normal – there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube. Use them to your advantage.

In order to make sure that your boxes won’t tear, you should remember to:

not pack them too heavy – distribute all the heavy items among all the boxes, and add some lighter ones to fill up the box
place a cookie sheet at the bottom of each box – it will add a bit of extra strength

pack the boxes on their sides, and carry them the same way

And if you really don’t feel comfortable not using tape, or for the paper one, as it is better for the environment.

Choose the Moving Company Responsibly

Since transporting all your belongings from one house to another might be hard to do on your own, you are probably going to use the services of a moving company. However, before you decide on one, make sure that they are eco-friendly. Look for companies that use energy-efficient vehicles, such as biodiesel or hybrid vans instead of regular diesel.

If you can find such a company in your area, check out what the ones that are available are doing to neutralize their carbon emissions.

The Bottom Line

Let’s be honest – moving house is both terrifying and exciting. After all, you get to change the scenery and start somewhere from scratch, but at the same time, there is so much to do before you can start living in your new house, that the amount of responsibilities can quickly become overwhelming.

However, no matter how good it sounds, if not done thoughtfully, moving can be quite damaging to the environment – it can not only contribute to air pollution and landfill waste, but most materials that are usually used during the move are not eco-friendly.

We do hope, though, that after reading this article, you’ll know how to make the moving process as eco-friendly and zero waste as possible. Good luck, and enjoy your new home.

Comments on this Can I Make Moving House Less Waste? article are welcome.