Moving to a new home is an exciting adventure, but it also presents an opportunity to make environmentally conscious choices.
In this article, we will explore tips and strategies for moving home sustainably, providing you with moving tips that are not only practical but also considered environmentally friendly.
Whether you’re an advocate for the green living movement, or simply want to minimise your carbon footprint for our planet, these are all admirable thoughts and our green moving home tips will help you make an immediate positive impact on our environment while settling into your new space. So without further ado, let’s dive!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Moving to a new home represents a golden opportunity to make a positive impact on our environment. With the increase in global warming, it is vital that we recognise the importance of making the right choices when moving home.
By being mindful of the environmental implications of our moves, we can lower our carbon footprints for the greater good of the planet.
Planning for a Sustainable Move
Over the past century, our planet’s average surface temperature has risen by approximately one degree Celsius. While this may not seem like a big increase if we continue the way we are going, this will only get worse.
Rising temperatures contribute to the melting of our glaciers and ice caps which in turn leads to a rise in sea levels. It also impacts coastal communities and other ecosystems.
By planning ahead for a sustainable move, families and organisations can greatly contribute towards reducing their carbon footprints to help preserve the environment for future generations (and moves) to come.
The Decluttering Movement
The first thing to consider before moving to a new location is how you can declutter without wasting the opportunity to recycle belongings that you no longer need.
Most people will have plenty of items that they can be used during the moving process or which can be donated:
- Creativity in Decluttering & Sustainability : By thinking outside the box you can declutter in a much more sustainable way. For example, you could repurpose your old shoe boxes and turn them into boxes that hold items . Another idea is to turn your dresser into a bookshelf to keep books for the move in a safe place. You could even use old jars for storage!
- Charitable Donations : Another great way of decluttering before a move is to donate your items to charities in your local area. Not only is this a great way to reduce wastage, but it also helps the community.
- Organisation & Elimination : As a final tip, another way to declutter is to categorise your belongings into four different groups – “retain,” “sell,” “donate,” and “recycle” piles. Not only does this help you organise your items better before your relocation, but it is a great strategy for decluttering.
While people own many different types of items, some of the more common things you could consider donating to charities include the following:
- Used Clothing such as Shoes, Shirts, Trousers, Coats And Accessories
- Items And Toys Your Pets No Longer Use
- Toys That Your Children No Longer Use
- Belts, Bags And Purses
- Used Furniture Such As Stools, Chairs, Couches Or Even Old Coffee Tables
- Kitchen Items Such As Pots And Pans Or Food Utensils
- Books And Magazines You’ve Read
- Working Appliances Such As Microwaves
- Musical Instruments And Books
- Warehouse Tools And Hardware
Do you remember that when you are donating to charities, ensure that the items can still be used by other people.
Eco-Friendly Packing Tips
Using packing materials that are considered environmentally friendly is the first step to reducing your carbon footprint. Not only can this help reduce the amount of wastage that ends up in landfills, but by opting for materials that are biodegradable or recyclable you are actively participating in the preservation of our planet.
You can consider sustainable packing materials such as bamboo or recycled paper or even second hand items.
Lastly, considering the usage of sustainable moving boxes is another thing that people often don’t think about; not only are these types of boxes highly durable, but by using them, you eliminate the need for increased cardboard wastage.
Even better, reusable boxes can be stacked up which reduces the amount of space they take up in moving trucks.
Finding these types of boxes is easy and there are many websites out there that you can Google in order to find these types of boxes for your move ahead.
To summarise the benefits of these boxes:
- Highly Stackable.
- Waterproof With Usually Leak-Resistant Lids.
- Uncrushable due to their Plastic Material.
- Provide Greater Protection than Regular Boxes.
- Can Help Save Money
Energy-Efficient Moving Tips
Another great strategy that should be considered is to reduce your energy consumption during the actual moving process. This means carefully planning the actual logistics of your move.
For instance, instead of employing a standard vehicle, opt for an electric or hybrid vehicle instead to move your items. These types of vehicles help to decrease carbon emissions left by them.
You could also consider sharing a vehicle with family and friends which is another great way to lower your carbon footprint and minimise your dependence on fossil fuels.
Finally, consider researching moving companies that have the environment in mind.
Depending on which country you are in, there should be plenty of choices. These types of companies for example all come with many environmental benefits such as:
- They Have Environmentally Friendly Vehicles
- They Come With Reusable Boxes Which Was Highlighted In The Previous Section In This Article.
- They Come With Moving Services That Are Environmentally Friendly Such As Backloading.
Here are a few moving companies to consider choosing:
- USA: NorthStar Moving, Green Van Lines, Men on the Move Eco, The Gentle Giant.
- Australia: Little Green Truck, GoodMove, The Moving Guys and ZOOM Removals all use recycled packing materials and biofuel trucks, and they offer carbon offset options.
- UK: Eco Move, Armishaws Removals, Green Move Removals, Green Man & Van, A2B Removals, Greenleaf Removals, Conscious Removals, The Little Removal Company.
Green Cleaning and Waste Disposal Tips
Next on the list is the consideration of using cleaning products that are planet-friendly before moving out of your current home.
Using environmentally friendly cleaning products significantly reduces the negative effects on the environment, as many of them are biodegradable which means that they break down naturally over time imposing a lower risk.
Other cleaning products in stark contrast can persist in the environment for extended periods, causing long term damage. To add to this, environmentally friendly cleaning products are safer for humans to use and are far less volatile in terms of organic compounds or toxic substances that might be otherwise harmful if inhaled or ingested.
There are plenty of products and brands out there that you can use which are free from chemicals or toxins, consider using homemade cleaning solutions which are readily available such as vinegar, baking soda or even lemon juice.
Not only do these promote a healthier living space, but they do not harm the ecosystem of the planet as much.
In addition to using friendlier cleaning products, consider environmentally-friendly cleaning techniques too:
For example, consider replacing single-use / disposable cleaning supplies such as paper towels with more reusable and washable options such as microfiber or even cleaning brushes.
Another thing to pay attention to is your water consumption during cleaning. Consider water saving practices such as turning off the tap when not using a bucket as this conserves precious water supplies.
If you really want to go the extra mile, you can even collect rainwater to use for tasks such as mopping floors or watering plants.
To summarise, considering eco-friendly cleaning practices before you move out to your new location is both commendable and highly achievable if you put your mind to it.
Settling Into Your New Space
To finish up, when you finally arrive at your new destination you will want to prioritise your energy consumption.
There are many things that people can do and forget to do when living at home which can impact the environment. This includes:
- Leaving Lights On In Empty Rooms: Although it’s easy to forget, all those forgotten lights that are still on will eventually add up!
- Phantom Power Drain: Even turned off electronics can consume energy on standby. Think of TV’s, chargers and other appliances that might have a ‘stand-by’ mode. Consider turning them off completely from the main power supply to guarantee no phantom power drainage.
- High Thermostat Settings: This is a common and very easy mistake to make, but cranking up the AC during summer or blasting the heat in winter wastes a significant amount of energy. Consider adjusting your thermostat for seasonal changes or just where appropriate clothing to help save energy.
- Taking Long, Hot Showers: It takes energy to heat up water, therefore by taking shorter showers with cooler water will help save energy.
- Running Appliances Half-full: Many appliances end up being used even though they are not at full capacity. Think of dishwashers or washing machines. If your dishwasher is not full of plates, or you are not running the washing machine at maximum capacity, then you are wasting more energy. Try to wait until you have a full load before running them.
- Clothes Dryers: Tumble dryers consume huge amounts of energy. Wherever possible try hanging your clothes outside in the sun instead.
- Consider LED Bulbs: Even light bulbs can make a big difference! Try switching to LED light bulbs, as they are known to use up to 80% less energy than traditional light bulbs and can even last up to 25 times longer.
- The ENERGY Star Rating: It’s important to keep an eye on appliances that have a low ENERGY star rating. The lower the rating, the more energy they will use. Although higher star rating appliances are more expensive, they will help contribute to a lower greenhouse gas emissions, offering a reliable and long term service for your home. You can find more information by clicking here.
Conclusion
To summarise, even making the smallest changes can help the environment drastically.
We highly encourage all readers who are planning to move, to consider implementing some of these tips above.
By doing so, not only will he be making a positive impact on our planet, but you can help future proof the environment for generations to come.
Happy moving!
