The following guest post from Kevin Hagan focuses on steps that can be taken in making a green move. He should know, as residential and commercial moving is his business. Remember what you did with all those boxes the last time you moved? Thanks for the tips, Kevin.
For all of you eco-friendly consumers out there ready to make a move to a new home or city, there are some things you should keep in mind! You can help make our planet become a better place by making your next shipping or moving requirement an eco-move. Below are five easy things you can do to make your move a little bit greener:
- Packing Containers– You can find gently used moving boxes on Craigslist and subsequently recycle them when they are no longer needed. There are also moving companies that use plastic boxes now and re-use them multiple times.
- Packing Material – If you are shipping an item to yourself, use sheets, towels or old newspapers as packing materials. If you have to finish off the packing with bubble wrap, choose the biodegradable kind or recycle it with the retailer.
- Unnecessary Items – You can get rid of everything from clothes, to light bulbs, to sofas, to TV’s through your local Goodwill, Salvation Army or thrift store. The other option is to consider having a garage or yard sale. For anything left over, Earth911.com offers advice on how to recycle virtually anything.
- Carbon Footprint – If you are moving yourself with a rented truck, check the tires before hitting the road – well inflated tires get better gas mileage. Once you are on the road, drive at moderate speeds to ensure the safety of your items while increasing your gas mileage.
- Minimum Weight– If you’re moving long distance and your items weigh less than 1,000 lbs., consider a small move specialist. They will put your items on a truck with other small loads, making it a full truck. From a green point of view, nothing costs more to move than empty space. Be sure to select a shipper or small move company with a low minimum weight requirement, such as 100 lbs. And ask the companies you contact how they handle partial load shipments and what eco steps they take.
You will sleep better knowing you have made the extra effort to make your move a green move!
This guest post was provided by Kevin Hagan from Transit Systems, Inc. – a provider of residential and commercial shipping services.
