How to Make Your Next Move More Environmentally Friendly

As anyone who has moved before can tell you, moving is not a particularly eco-friendly task. As the popularity and awareness of environmental sustainability have increased in recent years, it has fallen on Manhattan movers to help individuals, families, and businesses cut down on the impact their move will have on the environment. Here are a few ways you can help minimize the impact your next move will have.

Cut Down on Boxes and Packing Supplies

Reducing the number of boxes and packing supplies you use for your move is the easiest way to cut down on the environmental impact of your move. It is important to safely transport all of your belongings to your new home, but you don’t necessarily need to purchase brand new supplies. Here are a few alternatives to consider when looking for packing supplies:

• Use What You Already Have: Chances are you will already have some containers or boxes around your home that you can use to pack up your belongings. Whether it be plastic bins or containers, wooden shelving or empty boxes. Use these items first to reduce the number of boxes you’ll have to purchase.
• Use Household Items for Packing Materials: Everything inside your current home is going to either make the trip to your new home or be donated. Therefore, you might as well utilize items such as dish and bath towels, sheets, blankets, and similar items as packing materials. You can also use items such as casual t-shirts to layer in between dishes to provide padding during transportation. You can also use disposable items, such as old newspapers and magazines as filler in boxes to provide extra security. This method allows you to reuse what you already have without having to purchase new, thereby reducing your waste.
• Reuse Boxes: It is not uncommon when moving to ask for boxes from local businesses and friends. When possible, it is better to reuse boxes rather than purchase new ones. Reach out to people you know who’ve moved recently, ask nearby businesses, and even post to social media groups to see if anyone has boxes they no longer need. You can try to get your hands on gently used packing materials this way as well. Following your move, be sure to pay it forward and offer your moving supplies to someone else.

As you can see, there are things you can do to reduce your impact on the environment during your next move. Whether you are doing the packing and moving or if you’ve hired Manhattan movers, making these small changes can help you feel better about the choices you are making.