Moving? Maybe your moving into your first home, maybe you got stationed at a new base and are on the move again, maybe you are packing up for your first semester at college. Where ever you are going I hope these eco-friendly moving tips bring a little bit of green into your life.
Cardboard Boxes – Instead of buying new ones from U-Haul or your local retailer why not try getting used ones? Try craigslist or freecycle… In college I used Walmart as my source of packing boxes. Around midnight on Friday and Saturday they would restock the shelves and I would go down the main aisles and pick out boxes to take withe me, free of charge. If I remember correctly Walmart won’t allow you to take any boxes that have their logo on the box FYI. Beer and wine stores are also great find for heavy-duty, small to medium boxes.
“Depending on quality, a cardboard box can withstand three to 10 uses, at which point it will likely need to be recycled.”
Alternatives to packaging materials:
- Eco-Friendly Tape – from EcoPackStore
- Green Packing Peanuts – Made from a form of plastic derived from renewable sources like vegetable oils. You can get a pack from Uline for $19
- Geami wrap – This is 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable alternative to bubble wrap and peanuts. You can get this at Staples or The Container Store.
Movers
- In New York and want a green mover: Movers Not Shakers
- In California try this rental box company Rent A Green Box
- Northern U.S. & Canada – rental box company FrogBox
Resources:
- http://moving.about.com/od/packingtipsandtricks/a/green_move.htm
- http://blog.allstate.com/eco-friendly-moving/