1. Donate or recycle what you don’t need
Before you start packing, go through your clothes, utensils, and furniture and make piles or collections of what you no longer need. Look for services like OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace that allow you to sell furniture or household items locally. Another option? Give them away. I had to cram my big dresser into the back of a friend’s car. Was it easy? Certainly not, but it feels good to know that your stuff is being reused. As for clothes, if they are in good, usable condition, donate them to homeless shelters, Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
If you plan to throw away old appliances or batteries, remind yourself that electronic waste is a terrible burden on the environment. Wecycle is a service that finds the nearest recycling location depending on the type of electronics you want to throw away. You can also check out at your nearest Media market (or other large format electronics stores)- there you can drop off your old phones, chargers and general gadgets and will recycle them for you for free.
2. Wrap fragile objects in clothes and linen
This trick is as old as time, but trust us, it always works. Wrapping spoon holders, ceramic plates and fragile objects in clothing or linens is the perfect replacement for bubble wrap. We often even see customers putting their wine and champagne glasses in winter socks, and they even arrive unscathed on my doormat. Whether it’s towels, blankets or clothes, protect fragile items with what you already have before you buy disposable items.
3. Pack loose items in bins and crates
To figure out how to pack, you need to think a little out-of-the-box — try using crates you already have before you buy moving supplies.
4. Buy eco-friendly, biodegradable stuff
Let’s face it, moving is hard enough in itself. But if you take even one step to make the process more sustainable, it already makes a difference. Although you can arrange 2nd hand boxes yourself or get banana boxes from the supermarket, or moving company also has moving boxes that are reusable!
5. Hire green moving companies
If you need a moving van, look for green moving companies that often use biodiesel instead of conventional gasoline. Moving goods cheap in South Holland.
If you’re moving locally and transporting stuff to your new home, consider options for driving back and forth less to reduce emissions.