Moving is difficult enough without having to worry about the environmental costs of your move. However, given the sheer amount of waste most people throw away during a move, it’s important to take time to consider how you can do your part to care for the environment when you move. Below are a few simple suggestions that anyone can do to reduce the amount of garbage that gets dumped into your local landfill.
- Have a yard sale. This is a very common way to get rid of some of your unwanted stuff and make money at the same time. No, you’re probably not going to get rich by doing this, but you will reduce your waste, make some money and make someone else happy.
- Donate to the Salvation Army. Whatever you don’t sell at your yard sale, you can donate to the Salvation Army thrift store or other local charity. They’re in every city and are always looking for donations. And, if you make a list of everything you donate along with its value, you can use the donation as a write-off when it comes time to do you taxes.
- Give your food to your neighbors. If you have any perishable food that won’t make it through the move, give it away to your neighbors. They’d probably appreciate a loaf of bread or box of popsicles.
- Use used boxes. Instead of buying new moving boxes, find boxes that have already been used and are headed for the bin. You can find boxes in several different places. Ask around at local businesses such as a supermarket, department store or coffee shop. They always have extra boxes that they’re going to throw away anyway. And most people are more than happy to help out.
- Plan ahead. If you know you have a while before you move, start saving bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, padded envelopes and newspapers to wrap your fragile items in. You could even salvage old newspapers from recycle bins or ask your friends and family to save them for you. The more you can re-use the less new materials you’ll have to waste.
- Recycle. Instead of just dumping everything into the landfill, separate your recyclables and send them off to be recycled. It won’t take much more effort on your part, but it will make a huge difference to the environment. There are even some towns that will pick up your recycling for you. Check with your local government to see if they have a pick-up program in place in your area.
It may not seem like much, but everything you do adds up over time. Each little step you take will help reduce the impact you have on the earth.
