Sponsored Content 6 Eco-Friendly Ways to Keep Your Move as Green as Possible

If you’re about to make a big move, chances are you’ve already got a lot on your mind. You need to figure out how to get rid of the furniture you don’t want, host a going away party, and maybe even soothe a distraught child, all while packing your belongings and organizing the logistics of a cross-country move. Do you really need to be worrying about the state of the environment as well? Well, the short answer is yes, you probably should—but it’s not as difficult as you might think.

The truth is, dragging all your earthly possessions across the state or the country is pretty hard on the Earth. There’s the fuel you use traveling, the things you toss out, and the packing materials you use once and then throw away. It all adds up, so do your move right and follow these tips for a low-impact relocation.

Don’t Ditch It—Donate!

Moving is the perfect time to get rid of last season’s clothes, the books you’re never going to read, or those end tables you never liked. But tossing out all that junk really junks up our landfills. Furniture, in particular, gets thrown out at record-high levels—the EPA reports it makes up some 9.8 million tons of landfill waste. Instead, try donating these goods to charities like Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army, or the National Furniture Bank Association. Many of these organizations will come right to your home to pick up larger donations—that’s one thing you can cross off your to-do list!

Recycle, Recycle, and Recycle Some More

Recycling isn’t just about plastic bottles and cardboard boxes. A number of household goods can be recycled as well—everything from batteries to old electronics. You obviously can’t throw these in the recycling bin, but you can take them to a special center instead of tossing them in the trash. Here are some of the most common items.

Batteries: If you didn’t already know, batteries contain toxic substances like lead, sulfuric acid, and cadmium, which can leak into nearby waterways. Take these to a local library or post office, which usually have a recycling center for batteries.
Electronics: That old PC you have in the basement? It doesn’t have to wind up in the trash. Electronics and cords can be recycled at local resource recovery centers. You can also take them to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity—places that often accept donations for these kinds of goods.
Appliances: Old TVs, microwaves, and other appliances often contain lead and other harmful substances—so be sure to take it to a local Best Buy, where it will be recycled no matter where you bought it from.
Paint Cans: Many resource recovery centers accept open cans of paint, stain, and varnish.

Pack with Reusable Plastic Containers and Storage Boxes

Corrugated boxes are admittedly pretty easy to recycle. The bubble wrap, tape, and packing peanuts you use in those boxes? Not so much. Help the environment and keep your home goods intact by investing in a set of hard, reusable plastic bins. They make great storage containers when the move is over! Don’t want all that plastic cluttering up your new home? Use a returnable box service that lets you bring your bins back when you’re done.

Hire an Eco-Friendly Moving Company

Don’t think movers haven’t been following the trends. Now that green is in, many movers have invested in eco-friendly practices and products, like lower-emissions trucks, recycled cardboard boxes, or LED cargo areas, which will all keep your move more energy-efficient. If you’re driving your own moving truck, you can save energy by reducing your speed a few miles-per-hour—it’s safer, too!

Get a Greener Clean

There are some things our grandparents definitely got right, like how to clean your home without harmful chemicals. Vinegar, baking soda, and ammonia make low-impact replacements for a number of household cleaning agents, like scouring powder, all-purpose cleaners, and kitchen cleaners. Your new home will have that environmentally-friendly sparkle!

Turn Over a New Leaf in Your Home

Every move is like getting a fresh do-over. Use this relocation as a chance to purge excess clutter, and make a new commitment to not buy junk you don’t need. Take time to consider your purchases, instead of springing for impulse buys and sales. That’ll be less to toss next time you move, which hopefully won’t happen anytime soon!

Erin Vaughan is a blogger, gardener and aspiring homeowner. She currently resides in Austin, TX where she writes full time for Modernize, with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on big home projects with confidence.