Do yourself a favour and go green when you pack and move
As a nation, we move house a lot, changing address every five years on average, even in light of declining in internal migration in recent years. Nonetheless, Aussies go where the opportunity is, pandemic or not!
With the influx of new residents in some cities, how can moving to a new house be done in a sustainable way? Here are some ways to minimise packing and moving waste associated with relocating.
Reassess your possessions, then sell or donate extra or unwanted items
The trick is to let your rational mind decide. Is your collection of designer tumblers still giving you that satisfaction you used to enjoy? If not, perhaps you may keep the best one for yourself and find new owners for the rest.
Consider how much less you will have to pack and take with you if you eliminate the excess. Check your clothing, housewares, furniture, and old tech lying around. Sell or give away the items that are no longer useful for you. Think how refreshing it will be not to have so much clutter in your new place!
Use eco-friendly packing materials
‘Zero-waste’ packing and moving is achievable: You don’t always have to go out and buy moving boxes — simply use what you already have. Chances are you have some boxes, bins, and bags ready to get stuffed! Consider the following items for packing:
- Plastic Bins – These are a popular storage solution for those who change address from time to time. Use them to pack clothes, books, and breakable objects that can benefit from a sturdy shell.
- Bags and Suitcases – Instead of packing the gym or duffel bags away, why not use these as a container for some of your items? Using bags and suitcases are a clever and environment-friendly way of packing your belongings compared with buying new boxes.
- Reusable Grocery Bags – You can stuff light objects into the grocery totes, such as shoes, books, and children’s toys. You may also fold and roll it up and use it as packing peanuts.
- Ingenious Packing Peanuts/Noodles – Why buy packing peanuts when you can use what you already have with just a bit of creativity? You can use rolled-up towels, crumpled used papers, cardboard, plastic and canvas totes as cushioning material for fragile items.
- Old Boxes – Did you do a lot of online shopping during the pandemic? If you still have those boxes, that’s great! You now have free moving boxes. If you order online regularly and know that you will be moving out soon, keep the boxes handy for that day.
- Visit DIY or crafting stores, recycling drop-offs, grocery stores, and retail shops for large boxes. They may even give you the boxes for free, but don’t take everything that is available, leave some for everybody else too.
Clever eco-alternative to boxes
Before you start packing away your things, take a good look at your movables. Do you see anything that is a potential container? Instead of stuffing the insides of jars with papers, fill them with smaller kitchen items. Use big pots to hold kitchen utensils or glasses. Put laundry and cleaning bottles and brushes in buckets. Laundry hampers, baskets, and even trash bins that have been washed can hold home articles.
Dispose of any harmful materials the environmentally safe way
When sorting through your items, you may come across some household products that you won’t need for the move. These products may contain hazardous chemicals – you cannot chuck them in the bin.
You must dispose of household materials like acids, gasoline, kerosene, and other similar substances properly and safely. In NSW, the Household Chemical CleanOut events can take care of your household chemicals free of charge. You can also visit the nearest community recycling centre to drop off your household waste for free.
For the minimalist mover: Hire a U-haul trailer
If you are moving by yourself, consider renting a U-Haul trailer. This will save you from making a few back and forth trips. Especially if you are only moving a few kilometres, a
U-Haul trailer will enable you to take everything in one go. Plus, it’s the green way to go as there are less emissions produced.
Recycle the packing supplies
After making it into your new location, the next goal would be to unpack. Be eco-conscious and recycle the used packing supplies instead of throwing them away! You might want to keep the boxes for next time if the move is not for the long haul. You can also ask the moving company to recycle the packing materials, so they won’t add to the landfill — at least not soon.
Why go green?
Many conscious Australians lean towards environmentally friendly choices. In a 2019 study by Southern Cross University, 87% of respondents claim to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. Among the efforts they do is reducing wastes that contribute to pollution by practising the ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ routine.
When moving from one place to another, it is not easy to avoid accumulating rubbish like boxes and bubble wraps, but the tips written above are great ways of making your move as green as possible. With the current potential waste crisis that Australia is facing, going green helps conserve:
- Landfill space – With less waste produced, there will also be less space required to construct more landfills.
- Resources – There will be less need for raw materials like trees, aluminium, and petroleum to make new supplies.
- Energy – Less energy is needed to recycle materials, whilst producing new ones consume a lot.
By going green, we help build a more sustainable future. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’s simple plan can help bring down greenhouse gas emissions, limit the amount of garbage, control pollution, and allow nature to thrive.
Hire an Eco-Responsible Removal Service
Do you want to make sure the removalists echo your environmental-friendly principles? Talk to the friendly, careful and efficient team at Best Removalists, Newcastle so they can understand how you want to carry out the packing and moving process. They will be more than happy to align their services with your eco-friendly routine.
Here at Best Removalists Newcastle, we understand our clients’ green efforts. We are not only fast and efficient; we also strive to commit to a more sustainable moving practice. Experience the difference today; contact us online or call us on 02 4058 5810 for a free quote.