How to Make Your House Move More Sustainable

In an era where many human activities negatively impact the environment, it's best to be cautious about all your decisions, even with your moving plans. Moving can have several impacts on the environment. For instance, frequent trips to and fro leave a significant carbon footprint by releasing greenhouse gasses from vehicles’ fuel consumption. 

Besides, packing your possessions with non-environmentally friendly materials like single-use plastics adversely impacts the environment. Fortunately, you can do a few things to make a move eco-friendly. 

Here are some tips on how to make your move more sustainable.

Hire Green Movers

With every business putting more emphasis on sustainability, moving companies are following suit and creating plans to reduce their carbon footprint. Besides the cost and reputation of the moving company, it's best to consider a company that is mindful of eco-friendly practices.

Moving companies are getting into services such as video surveying to reduce their trips to your home to give a quotation. This strategic move is geared toward reducing the emission of gasses into the air. It significantly reduces your move's carbon footprint, given that you'll typically need to consult with more than one company before choosing the best. 

Additionally, some movers plan their travel routes and schedules to ensure they limit their emissions. You can also assess their packing material to tell if they're mindful of the environment, which will be discussed further in this article. 

Working with companies that recognize the need to go green is laudable. If you're in Idaho, you'd want to consult Big Boy Movers or similar companies in your area for sustainable moving services. Besides sustainability, their expert and experienced movers make a move seamless. 

Use Eco-Friendly Packing Materials

Packing supplies are a huge contributor to environmental degradation. Notably, plastic packaging material can't be biodegraded. They stay intact in the environment for hundreds of years, posing a threat to the ecosystem. 

Therefore, it would be best to ensure you ask the movers for eco-friendly packing supplies. For instance, you can use green bubble wrap instead of plastic bubble wrap to protect fragile kitchen items like plates and cups. You can also use your clothes, like sweaters, to wrap delicate items. Use socks and soft toys as gap fillers instead of bubble cushioning rolls. They provide enough cushioning to protect your artwork and portraits.

Another hack is using your drawers as packing boxes instead of cardboard or moving boxes. Your travel bag and suitcases can also transport some of your belongings to reduce the number of boxes you'll need to transport your items. Moving boxes are indeed an essential element of the whole process. 

However, using too many boxes can be wasteful, making your move less sustainable. If you must use the boxes, ensure they can be reused when you move again, or you can donate them to friends who are planning to move. You can also use the boxes as storage units. Using reusable packing boxes ensures you reduce waste production.

Alternatively, you can use green packing bins instead of boxes. If you're moving on a budget, you can hire instead of buying them. It's a sustainable option because you won't have to deal with any waste from the boxes. If you go for this option, buy the big bins to reduce the number of units you'll need to pack your belongings. 

Declutter

Decluttering is a strategic move that helps reduce your moving bills and environmental impact. The more items you transport, the more packaging supplies you'll need. Additionally, you'll have to make more trips to move your belongings if they're too many. The trips increase your move's carbon footprint, which isn't good for the environment. 

Therefore, it's best to only move essential items. Go through your belongings and set aside the things you'll need. While decluttering, you can also begin packing. It'll save you money if you pack by yourself instead of hiring movers who charge by the hour. 

Moreover, downsizing comes in handy when moving over long distances. Perhaps you'll have to rent storage space before finding a place to stay. The fees you pay for storage spaces depend on their size and duration of storage. So, you'll save some dimes by downsizing before moving.

You can start with your home library and take out the books you don't plan to reread. You can also declutter your kitchenware by taking out the cutlery and appliances you hardly use. Instead of dumping the items you won't need, hold a garage sale or donate them to charity.  

Dump Or Dispose Of Correctly

Some items won't be necessary for the new house. These include paint tins or chemicals. However, dumping them aimlessly may not be good for the environment. It is important to dispose of them properly because they can pose an environmental hazard. To do this, you can check out guidelines for the safe disposal of hazardous household goods. 

On the other hand, if you have old machines and electronics like broken lawnmowers, dead laptops, or television sets, you shouldn't throw these in your regular garbage bin. You can call some e-waste facility to collect them. They can dispose of them better and recycle what can be salvaged.

Recycle 

Another significant way to reduce your impact when moving houses is by recycling. Notably, single-use packing supplies increase carbon footprint and should be avoided at all costs. 

For your move, recycling can work in two ways. You can recycle the packing supplies and a few of your items. For instance, you don't have to buy new moving boxes if you have some old boxes in your garage. You can also borrow from friends and relatives who have moved recently. Alternatively, you can use laundry baskets or fabric cubes to pack your belongings. It helps reduce waste during the move. 

In addition, you can recycle some of your items. Check with your local recycling center about some items they can use. Some companies offer to pick up recyclable items to help you reduce waste from your move. You should find out what things they can pick, and they'll help you reduce the load. 

Minimize Your Moving Trips

Trucks and moving vans contribute to environmental degradation through carbon emissions.  The more trips they make, the more carbon is emitted into the atmosphere. Minimizing your moving trips into one can make moving more sustainable. To achieve that, you have to declutter and organize your items first to fit into one truck.

Besides making a single trip, you'd also want to confirm if your selected mover uses energy-efficient vehicles. They're typically lightweight with highly efficient engines that use less fuel per mile and produce fewer emissions.

Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Moving houses requires thorough cleaning. Therefore, it's best to use environmentally friendly products rather than harsh ones that may affect the environment. 

Several green cleaning products in the market can be suitable for cleaning your old and new spaces. They're typically free from harmful chemicals, irritating and corrosive substances, ozone-depleting compounds, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

As an alternative, you can use cleaning products easily found at home, like vinegar, lemons, and soda bicarbonate. Also, consider using reusable cleaning supplies like microfiber cloths instead of disposable cleaning supplies like paper towels and sponges. 

Find Other Ways To Reduce Waste

Reducing the amount of waste produced during the moving process is possible. As discussed earlier in the article, there are a lot of handy tips to help you reduce waste while moving. However, one that wasn’t discussed yet is setting up a compost bin in your old home. This can help you collect and dispose of the waste appropriately. Leaving it lying around is an eyesore and can contaminate the environment. By doing so, you’ll make the moving process more sustainable. 

Don't Send Your Furniture To The Landfills

When moving, you may want to get rid of your old furniture. Probably it doesn't fit in your new home. Alternatively, you could be moving over a long distance and want to minimize the costs. The best way to dispose of it isn't to send it to landfills. They create a considerable amount of toxic emissions to the environment. If you're not ready to part ways with the furniture, you can put it in storage. Once fully settled, you can revamp it for your backyard or front porch sitting area.

Alternatively, you can sell the old furniture to a second-hand shop. They can also take other items, such as mattresses and old blankets. Make sure you gather all the items to be picked up together. This way, they'll only make one trip and reduce carbon emissions. If you want to contribute to your community, you can donate it to a charity home or your neighbor. 

Go Paperless

Another strategy to make your house move more sustainable is going paperless. It's time to shift to electronic bills. You should notify your service providers that you don't want to receive paper mail as you change your home address. Even for your moving bills, ensure you get online receipts for all transactions. This way, you'll not have to deal with sorting papers and will significantly reduce your waste production.

Conclusion

House moving can impact the environment in several ways. However, adopting a few strategies can make your house move more sustainable. You can try to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and most of these sustainable strategies are inexpensive. You’ll guarantee a sustainable move if you work with a green mover. Consult them to explore the possible options for a sustainable move and get further advice on sustainability practices. But, to give you a head start, you can follow the tips and tricks explained above.