Earth is a great planet. Sure, the weather can be rough at times, and natural disasters are nothing to scoff at either, but when it comes down to it, this planet is pretty much all we have. So, naturally, it would make sense to want to protect it and keep it around for as long as possible. While I won’t go off on a preservationist tangent here for fear of sounding like Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth, I will offer up a few helpful ideas for how you can pitch in and help the environment during your next move.
Although moving can be a stressful time for everyone involved, it can’t hurt to keep the environment in mind during the whole process and go the “green” route. The following green moving ideas are things you can do to help the environment before, during, and after your move. And just like you learned in second grade science class, everything comes back to the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Reduce: the amount of fuel you use during your move by following a few eco-conscious road tips. Even if you have to make a long drive to your new home that forces you to use your car, and maybe one or two big gas-guzzling moving trucks, there are still ways in which you can reduce your fuel consumption and your carbon footprint. For example, making sure your tires are filled can greatly increase your gas mileage and lower your gas consumption. Also, lowering your driving speed and limiting your use of the air conditioner can also contribute to a lower overall gas consumption during your trip.
Reuse: your packing materials. So you’re all finished moving in and you’re completely unpacked. Everything is where it’s supposed to be, your plates are in the cupboards, your clothes are in the closet and your used cardboard boxes are in a pile in the garage. What are you going to do with them? Well, you can always use them for other things. For example, you can use your cardboard moving boxes for storing things you don’t use too often, like holiday decorations, seasonal clothing or old toys. You can also use them for kindling if you have a fireplace or backyard fire pit and you can even cut them up and use them as compost.
Recycle: your packing materials, if you really can’t find any other uses for them. If you thought long and hard about it but still couldn’t find any other uses for your old moving boxes besides having them sit in your garage unused, then consider recycling them. There are a number of different ways in which you can recycle your old packing materials, including your moving boxes and bubble wrap. If your town does not have a weekly recycling pickup, then you can always drop them off at a local recycling facility. If you’re not sure where your nearest recycling facility is, ask around your neighborhood, or contact your town or city’s sanitation department.
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