Besides the stress of making sure your furniture gets to your new house and the worry that your dishes might break enroute, moving creates waste. Instead of leaving a pile of garbage in your wake, try these tips to reduce waste while moving:
Boxes
You’ll need boxes to move but you don’t have to buy new ones. Before you start packing, visit a local business and ask for boxes. Most businesses will comply because they don’t want waste either and their old boxes are just taking up space before they get recycled. You can also use any boxes you have lying around. For example, the box your TV came in. Furthermore, pack your clothing in luggage, duffle bags, hockey bags, purses and cloth grocery bags — basically, anything that can accommodate your wardrobe. That way, you can reserve the boxes for your dishes, etc. If you’re not moving too far, keep your clothing in your dressers. Tape the drawers shut so they don’t open in transit.
Once you’ve unpacked, flatten or cut down the boxes so that they can be collected by your city’s sanitation department. If you’re moving to a new city, look online to see what days the recycling is picked up and if you can leave boxes curbside. You may have to bring them into your city’s recycling centre.
Paper/Bubble Wrap
Packing paper costs money and it generally can’t be reused. Instead of buying rolls of packing paper, use newspapers, towels and old T-shirts to wrap fragile items. Bubble Wrap will protect your valuables, but so will items you already have on hand. Plus, you’ll save money by not purchasing Bubble Wrap and packing paper by the foot.
After you’ve unpacked, donate the old T-shirts and towels to your local animal shelter. They’ll be able to use the materials to line the crates for the dogs and cats. The newspaper can be recycled.
Declutter
As you’re packing, get rid of everything you don’t need. Have a yard sale to get rid of these old items and everything you can’t donate to charity. Give away old toys and donate everything from dishes to furniture that may be taking up space. You can even give away electronics you don’t use. Also, see if you can recycle your non-working electronics. Check with your city’s sanitation/recycling department because they might have special days when you can leave old electronics curbside.
Moving away doesn’t mean you have to leave waste behind. If you follow the above tips, you’ll have a successful move with little waste.
