Moving house is a time-consuming process that can often lead to a lot of throwing out. Whether its old stuff that you no longer need, packing materials or storage boxes, you often end up with bags full of rubbish when you get to your new home. However, with restricted rubbish collections and an increased focus on being eco-friendly, reducing the amount of waste you accumulate will help you and the environment on moving day.
So if you always say that you’re going to start to be more green, when you write your moving checklist and start to get things ready there are a number of little things that you can do.
• Don’t Buy New – For the purpose of convenience, many people often buy new removal boxes when they’re preparing for a move. Some moving companies offer them as a deal when you hire a removal service, while many people go out and buy them from retail outlets. However, thousands and thousands of boxes are thrown away every day by businesses around the UK, many of which are in a perfectly good state to be used over and over again. So don’t go out and waste your money buying new storage boxes when all you need to do is pop to your local shops to see whether they have any old ones that they’re looking to throw out. By re-using old boxes you are reducing waste levels, while still saving yourself a little bit of money!
• Pass Them On – Once you’ve used your storage boxes and have finished your unpacking don’t just throw them on the waste heap, pass them on instead! By encouraging a cycle of re-using things, you can help to reduce the amount of waste and encourage a more environmentally-friendly culture in your local area. Pass them on to someone else who is preparing for a move and you can save them money and have fewer things to throw out.
• Think Green – If you do need to buy any removals boxes or packing materials make sure you check their green credentials before you bring them home. Always try to find recyclable products or something that you may be able to use again. You could even try to make sure that you hire a van that uses alternative fuels or one that has relatively low emissions in comparison to some of its counterparts. This can reduce the amount of non-environmentally friendly gases released into the atmosphere and the amount of waste which we release on moving day.
• Get Creative – When it comes to packing, the fewer materials you have to buy the better. That is why getting creative with the things that you do have can make a big difference. Old bed sheets and tea-towels are great for protecting plates, mugs and ornaments, as are old newspapers and magazines that you may have lying around. Utilising the space in all of your boxes, drawers, chests and storage containers can also help to reduce the amount of boxes you need to use on moving day.
• Do a Good Deed – If you have old clothes, furnishings or furniture which you no longer need then don’t just throw them out. One person’s junk is another man’s treasure and while you may no longer have a need for that old coat or duvet, it may be just the thing that someone else has been looking for. So if you want to do your bit to reduce your waste during a move, make sure you bag up any things that you no longer need and donate them to your local charity shop or homeless appeal.
