Tips for Sustainable Moving and Traveling
October 5, 2020
All counts when it comes to sustainability.
Making your daily habits greener will lead to a major impact over time, but embarking on big projects and monumental changes with an environmental perspective at the forefront of your thoughts is just as critical.
For example, Americans produce 4.51 pounds of municipal solid waste per person per day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Perhaps you’ve reduced the amount of discretionary products you eat, decreasing your daily average. If you can fill an entire dumpster with your garbage come moving day, it will not do any good.
You might be thinking about how you can avoid any might pitfalls if you’re getting ready to move this year. Eco-friendly steps include creating less landfill waste and reducing the carbon footprint.
Here are the tips for keeping you on track for a change that is sustainable.
Chances are, it won’t take you by surprise if you have a move coming up. But get started early to stop filling garbage bags in a panic when the moving van turns up. You’ll have a lot of advance notice.
Next, recognize objects that you do not use anymore. You can host a yard sale with enough preparation time to find good homes for your used goods and scrape together a little extra cash. You can give away or donate large-ticket items, too. In your town, there might be family members or even charities who will gladly bring bulky giveaways themselves.
Recycle anything you can’t sell or donate. Trashing something needs to be the last resort.
Letting perishable food build up in your fridge is one common mistake. In the last few weeks leading up to the transfer, slow down your grocery shopping and spread out what you’ve got by tossing it in the freezer.
Also Read: Unpacking Guides: What Essential Items to Unload First When You Moved?
Start by reusing boxes from your last move when it comes to preparing for your eco-friendly move if you saved them. Sustainable movers should consider searching for used cardboard boxes or storage crates as a second step, which are distributed or sold by local businesses on the cheap.
Second, by using towels, comforters, blankets, and other natural cushions from around the house to fill the empty space in your boxes, rather than looking for foam peanuts, pack wisely. As with our first suggestion, if you start early, this piece of advice is easier to achieve.
Opt for compostable, biodegradable, or otherwise reusable containers and packing materials when everything else fails.
There are some things that you can do on your own, but moving isn’t a solitaire game. You’re definitely going to need help with certain aspects of the process at least.
Find a transitional business that values sustainability as much as you do. They can do a great deal to mitigate your move’s environmental effects.
If you’ve hired a moving company, for example, they can map lower-impact routes, drive in an environmentally friendly way, and decrease the time they spend idling, which alone is no small matter. Currently, the Energy Department reports that 6 billion gallons of fuel are lost annually by idling heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles.
Related Articles:
