As climate change and other environmental hazards continue to emerge, people are becoming increasingly conscious of their choices and their impact on the planet. They are seeking ways to make these choices more eco-friendly and sustainable. For example, an activity, like moving, significantly affects the environment. So it is becoming more pertinent in the context of environmental challenges. Without considering ecological impacts, relocation can pose considerable dangers to the planet.
Sustainability is the key to the survival of our planet and its resources for future generations. By altering previously established practices and planning for a sustainable future, you can make your moving process more eco-friendly. In this blog, we will analyze the concept of eco-friendly moving and share the top six ways to make your move more environmentally friendly.
We will also highlight different aspects of green moving that range from initial planning, packaging materials, and recycling to hiring suitable movers. These tips will help ensure your moving process goes smoothly with minimal adverse environmental impacts.
The term ‘eco-friendly’ itself suggests practices that are not detrimental to ecosystems and the environment. For example, eco-friendly moving, famously known as green moving, is a sustainable practice whereby you relocate to a new place while inflicting minimum negative environmental effects.
In eco-friendly moving, conscious efforts are made to minimize carbon footprint, reduce wastage, recycle things, and ensure all natural resources involved in the process are used responsibly. Sustainable packing materials and boxes are also used during the procedure. The goal remains the same for the people involved in the move, whether professional movers or individuals relocating their homes and offices.
The ongoing series of natural disasters, such as floods, violent tropical storms, droughts, and rapidly melting glaciers, is a testament to the severity of climate change’s threat. Pollution is increasing every day, especially in underdeveloped countries. Additionally, natural resources like water and fossil fuels are being depleted at an alarming rate. Therefore, there is a dire need to adopt sustainable practices for a better planet and a better future. As the founder of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, says, “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” This worry for upcoming generations and the current deterioration of ecosystems encourage people to opt for green moving.
If you want to conserve natural resources for future generations, the apt approach is to move sustainably. Eco-friendly moving ensures that the process is free of any stress and strain. Moreover, it has plenty of positive effects on the environment. Hence, eco-friendly moving is becoming more relevant and significant today.
Let us look at the top 6 ways whereby you can transform your move into an eco-friendly one.
Planning at the initial stages is essential; as we say, ‘good planning goes a long way!’ Moving can be a much-needed fresh start that you have always wanted. We do understand the temptation to jam-pack everything in boxes and get going. However, it is an endeavor that needs to be done smartly and subtly.
Organize everything neatly and put them in separate categories. Some categories you can create are crockery, furniture, and clothes. We advise your next step should be to craft a checklist. Check off everything that you have packed already. This is the time to review your belongings and see what things you can discard easily.
You must be wondering why these steps are important for an eco-friendly move. Well, first off, decluttering your place helps you distinguish between possessions you need and those you do not need. Packing only necessary and minimal stuff helps reduce wastage. Moreover, you will require fewer mover trucks to relocate the items, which leads to low carbon emissions during transportation. This approach also motivates you to subconsciously make smart decisions before hoarding unnecessary items in your homes for future reference.
You can donate, sell, recycle, or upcycle items that are not useful to you anymore. A cluttered place only amplifies your exhaustion amidst the stress of moving. Hence, eliminate and then organize all the items neatly.
Now that you have sorted out your belongings tidily, it is time to decide what to do with them. One idea is to donate most of the items to charity. Donation aids to minimize your wastage since whatever you throw away mostly ends up filling the landfills. Moreover, plastic items, aluminum cans, and Styrofoam take years or decades to decompose properly. Materials like these increase soil and water pollution if they are carried away to water bodies.
Opting for green moving conserves natural resources, such as water, and reduces wastage to a minimum. Additionally, you can choose charities or NGOs that endorse environmental causes to amplify your positive impact on the environment further.
Belongings that you can donate include books, clothing, furniture, school supplies, and medical equipment. Keep in mind a few things before you make your way to the charity organization:
Apart from donations, you can also recycle or upcycle your items. However, there is a slight difference between the two. On the one hand, recycling means transforming waste material into something new; on the other hand, in upcycling, you create new products through creativity. The major distinction between recycling and upcycling is that the latter makes unique and valuable products instead of the former.
Let us look at some examples to understand better the practices mentioned earlier. You can recycle old clothes to make rags or turn glass bottles into vases and ornaments. If you want to upcycle, you can use old shirts to make scarves out of them or turn them into new tote bags that are in fashion today. Another good upcycling idea is to use an old ladder as a plant stand or bookshelf. All in all, both processes help conserve resources and reduce waste, significantly decreasing pollution and promoting sustainability.
Have you ever wondered whether the materials you use to pack your items during the move are eco-friendly? Unfortunately, the majority of these materials are plastic, Styrofoam, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc. Specifically, PVC and plastic are extremely detrimental to the environment. They take years to decompose naturally. From production to disposal, these materials release toxins and chemicals thrown in landfills or streams. These toxic chemicals disrupt ecosystems and food chains and cause significant environmental degradation.
Many biodegradable packaging materials are now available in the market to cope with the growing issue of pollution and climate change. For instance, you can choose new biodegradable packaging peanuts, recycled cardboard, biodegradable bubble wraps, materials made of cornstarch, and mushroom packages. These eco-friendly options are available to you now as alternatives to traditional packaging materials.
The eco-friendly choices are biodegradable, which means they decompose naturally. Thereby they avoid polluting the environment. Another alternative is to rent packaging materials and return them once you have completed the task. This option allows you to conserve resources that might be utilized to produce new materials. Similarly, you also prevent wasting them after one-time use. If you are using recycled materials, make sure their sourcing is responsibly done and they are adequately recycled once you do not need them. Interestingly, many people nowadays use blankets and small containers to pack stuff. Therefore, you will not need to buy multiple packaging materials and can easily carry small containers.
You may wonder why you need a warehouse storage option when you can pack items and hit the road. To answer the question in simple terms, you may need storage options during three important stages of your move: before, during, and after.
The decision to rent such a storage space depends on your needs and budget. For example, when you are decluttering your place, you may need all the extra space that you can get to go through everything thoroughly. You can hire an eco-friendly warehouse to store your furniture in that case. You can also use it to store precious electronic items for the time being to prevent any damage during the hassle of moving.
If you are relocating to a faraway place, you would want to make the trip in one go instead of moving back and forth. However, multiple trips increase your transportation costs and surge negative environmental effects. In this case, you can temporarily hire a warehouse to store your things. Even after moving, you can store your items in a storage unit to ease up the process of shifting and have more time to unpack and organize your home.
Renting eco-friendly warehouse storage minimizes the negative impact of your move on your surroundings. An eco-friendly storage facility uses sustainable practices. For example, they are focused on energy efficiency and conservation. To achieve that, some warehouses proficiently use resources and lighting systems and get their energy from wind or solar renewable resources. The relevant ministries certify many such facilities to ensure they follow the SOPs to maintain sustainability. In addition, you can choose warehouses closer to your location to further your agenda of reducing your carbon footprint during transportation.
Why go through the trouble of moving everything yourself when you can hire specialized movers to do the job quickly? Pick your movers responsibly, as their practices reflect your choice.
Transportation is an essential part of the moving process. So pick movers that prefer sustainable transportation, such as fuel-efficient vehicles. They will minimize carbon emissions by transporting via time-saving routes that are not jam-packed or crowded. If there is less traffic, so travel time will be less. Some movers also offer electric trucks as an alternative to traditional ones. These trucks require no fuel as an energy source; instead, they rely on batteries. You can power their batteries using solar or wind power.
Apart from this, professional movers also offer storage facilities. Make sure they have proper certifications and management that does not harm the environment. For a smooth move, you want to ensure the principles you endorse are not compromised. Once you are satisfied with the movers’ commitment to sustainability, you are good to go!
The six ways mentioned above are essential to make your move more eco-friendly. Eco-friendly moving is all about reducing the harmful impacts on the environment. It focuses on reducing carbon emissions, sustainable techniques, conservation of resources, and energy efficiency. For an eco-friendly move, you can start by practicing recycling and upcycling, using green packaging materials, decluttering properly, donating the things you do not require, and choosing movers responsibly.
Moving is one hectic task, so hire professional movers to get the job done. Expert movers make your moving process easier and smoother. MPR Movers is adept at handling all functions of your move. We have years of experience handling our clients’ possessions, whether large furniture, delicate household items, or confidential office files. Along with the relevant expertise, we also constantly upgrade our equipment to compete with the high standards of the market. We prioritize eco-friendly moving because of the growing demands for green practices and increasing awareness of climate change. Moreover, the staff at MPR Movers is proficiently trained to work with minimum impact on the surroundings. Therefore, we incorporate these methods in all of our moving assignments. Apart from residential relocations, we offer corporate relocation, storage services, furniture moving, and junk removal. Contact us today for any further inquiries. Please avail yourself of our services today and make your move a success!
Immensely passionate for literature, Arsh-E-Bareen is a freelance writer. She writes content for many renowned firms, including this one. In her spare time, she loves to write sonnets and short stories that touch and inspire people. You can contact her on LinkedIn