Environmentally Friendly Moving Tips for Families

*Collaborative Post

Moving can be a distressing and disorganized time, especially for families. It’s easy to forget about the ecological impact of your move amidst all the tasks involved. However, with some clever thinking and an eco-conscious approach, you can cut down on your carbon footprint and make it a more sustainable move. The following are practical tips for families who want to move in an environmentally conscious manner.

1. Declutter and Donate

Take advantage of this opportunity before you start packing up by decluttering your home. Each room should be gone through to identify items that are no longer needed or used. This is important in reducing what items you have to transport thereby reducing the amount of fuel required for transportation. Here’s what you can do: 

• Donate or sell items

Instead of throwing away good quality items take them to local charities, shelters, or thrift stores which would benefit from them. Alternatively let go of them by selling them at a garage sale or using online platforms like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay. By doing so, other people will benefit but also less garbage will end up in landfills.

• Recycle responsibly

Ensure those that cannot be donated/sold are recycled properly. Look into recycling guidelines within your area for electronics, batteries plus other materials requiring special handling.

2. Use Eco-Friendly Packing Materials

Traditional packing materials such as bubble wraps and Styrofoam peanuts are harmful to the environment, instead, here are eco-friendly alternatives:

• Reusable bins

Consider using plastic bins or crates that can be reused multiple times over instead of cardboard boxes. These can be rented from moving companies or bought and used later on as storage containers after moving.

• Biodegradable packing materials

Look out for packing materials made from recycled/biodegradable sources. For example, biodegradable peanuts made of paper-covered corrugated bubble wrap are one alternative that packs things safely.

• Household items

Use towels, blankets, and clothes you already own to wrap fragile objects. Apart from this helping in using space efficiently, it also reduces the need for extra packing materials.

3. Choose a Green Moving Company

When choosing a moving company, opt for those that give priority to sustainability. Today, many moving companies have eco-friendly options such as biodiesel-run trucks, energy-efficient logistics, and recyclable packing supplies. According to international removals from Three Movers, these green options significantly reduce the environmental impact of your move. Here’s what to do to find the right moving company:

• Research

Spend some time researching different moving companies and comparing them. Visit their website pages to see if anything has been said about environmental policies and practices. Look out for any membership or certification from green business organizations.

• Ask questions

Potential movers should be asked about their green practices by homeowners who are serious about sustainability. These include finding out whether they use sustainable packaging materials like eco boxes which are made of cardboard or compostable packaging peanuts as well as fuel-efficient vehicles among others.

4. Plan Efficiently

Your move’s environmental impact will be significantly reduced through effective planning of your movement’s logistics. You can minimize the number of trips and amount of fuel used by organizing your move properly.

• Consolidate trips

Try to carry out multiple errands in one trip whenever possible so that instead of going back home over again do everything once while shifting from the old residence to the new one in small numbers of rounds with fewer trips involved. This cuts down on fuel consumption and emissions.

• Optimal route planning

Use apps or GPS devices to find the shortest routes possible. Avoid peak traffic periods to reduce idling time resulting in unnecessary burning of fuel.

5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Though much waste may occur during relocation there are ways it can be minimized through the application of the 3Rs- reduce, reuse, recycle principles:

• Reduce

Be cautious of what you buy months before your move. Try to finish perishable goods and avoid purchasing more things that will need to be moved.

• Reuse

Where possible, reuse packing materials. Keep aside some boxes, bubble wrap, and, packing papers from previous moves, or ask friends if they have any supplies you can use.

• Recycle

It is important to recycle all non-reusable packing materials. Break down cardboard boxes and take them to a nearby recycling center. Additionally, several moving companies provide recycling programs for boxes.

6. Green cleaning

When leaving your former home for a new one, you might need to do some cleaning. Why not go for green products that do not contain harmful chemicals and are easily decomposed by natural processes?

• Diy cleaners

Household items such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice can be used to create environmentally friendly cleaning agents at home. The natural ingredients in these solutions make them effective and safe for the environment.

• Eco-friendly brands

Always look for cleaning agents that indicate a biodegradable tag or eco-friendly on them while shopping in stores or supermarkets. Such items are made with less environmental effects in mind but also safeguard the health of people living around them.

7. Energy-Efficient Setup

After moving into your new residence, ensure that it is energy-efficient as much as possible. Here are a few considerations:

• Led lighting

You should replace old incandescent bulbs with energy-saving LED ones. These bulbs consume less power hence a long life span therefore reducing energy bills significantly too,  this will curtail greenhouse gas emissions or other toxic wastes being released into the environment as well.

• Smart thermostats

Install a smart thermostat to help manage your home’s heating and cooling more efficiently. Smart thermostats learn your schedule and adjust the temperature automatically, saving energy.

• Energy-efficient appliances

Where necessary, purchase ENERGY STAR-labeled devices. These are designed to consume less electricity and further reduce water usage, hence reducing your ecological footprint.

8. Get the Whole Family Involved

When moving everyone together it brings a lot of fun and makes it easier on everyone. It also provides an opportunity to teach your children about eco-friendly living. Here’s what you can do to get the family involved: 

• Assign tasks

Give all family members age-appropriate assignments. Younger kids can help with categorizing and packing little things whereas older ones might be involved in de-cluttering or organizing.

• Educational activities

Turn your move into a learning experience. Make sure that you let your kids know why recycling matters as well as the need for using environmentally friendly products at home. Be part of planting trees or making safe homemade detergents with them among other activities.

Conclusion

Even though moving is never easy, its eco-friendliness can be improved through some planning and efforts put towards it. Therefore it is possible to minimize environmental impact by decluttering, choosing sustainable packing materials, choosing green movers, and getting all family members to take part in the process of relocation thereby setting a good example for children too. Again, remember that small actions today will make up for future sustainability goals.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.