Living with attention and care for nature is becoming a growing necessity. In everyday life it is easy to take small steps in this direction.
Many people think that eco-friendly relocation is an overwhelming task. However, it is not. There are numerous good practices that can be implemented at every stage of the move. For packing, arranging and transporting your possessions, you can find interesting alternative solutions to make the process as eco-friendly as possible. We have prepared some interesting tips for you.
Proper planning and organisation help for eco-friendly relocation
Good preparation is half the way to moving into a new home. Skipping it is a common mistake that will cost you a lot of energy and time. Making a detailed plan would also help you reduce waste and incorporate fewer packing materials into use. By having a good plan, you will get at least one step closer to caring for the Planet.
Start your planning process early enough. If you are moving with your family, include all members in the plan. Allocate tasks according to their importance to accomplish. Begin by organizing the larger steps that involve outsiders and require more time. These are namely selecting a transportation company, booking storage space, giving notice to vacate or looking for new tenants for your personal real estate and eventually finding a new one.
Once you have secured these, you can turn your attention to your belongings and preparing your home. Set small tasks for each week before the eco-friendly relocation and follow them through. That way you won't get overwhelmed and lose sight of anything. By planning all the processes, you will know what you have and what you need to purchase.
Donating as part of the eco-friendly relocation
Before you move to a new home, think about your possessions. Donating is a way of getting rid of belongings and helping those in need. By giving them away, you are contributing to foundations that will greatly appreciate your gesture. This way, you are showing compassion and setting a good example for your children and those around you. You can support local charities, orphanages, schools, libraries and animal shelters. If you have food you can't take with you, contact your local food bank and make a donation to them. Research what the requirements of the various foundations are before bringing your items and be sure to contact them to alert them of your donation.
The moment before moving out is the right time to donate unwanted items, but how do you define which ones are such? Any item that is unnecessary to you and in good condition can be donated. Items that have no sentimental value and bring you no joy can also be included on your donation list. We share with you our recommended list of possessions to donate.
What can we donate:
Clothes
Shoes
Baby accessories: cradles, bassinets, clothes
Children's toys and clothes
Books and magazines
Painting materials
Board games
Kitchen towels, bath towels
Tablecloths
Bed linen
Blankets, duvets, pillows
Serving sets and single cutlery and crockery
Pots, pans, kitchen appliances
If you need extra funds for your move, you can organize a garage sale. In case you don't live in a house, list your belongings for sale on online platforms as well. Sell any possessions that have stayed unused for a long time and are in good condition. You can also part with the ones that won't fit in your new place: sofas and soft furnishings, chairs, tables, wardrobes, large fitness equipment, home electronics, etc.
It's time to prepare the suitcases and boxes for the eco-friendly relocation
Once you've donated the unwanted items, it's time to pack the ones you've kept. If you've made a good initial plan, you should have plenty of time to prepare them. For this, you should pay attention to packing and wrapping them.
Packing with a swing
Start with the items you use less often. By packing them first, you won't stress about putting them on the side and needing them in the final days before the move. Books, last season's clothes and shoes, sports equipment, decorative tableware, etc. are a good start.
Pay special attention to breakable items. They require specific packing, especially if they are in non-standard shapes. Look for and collect all towels, pieces of fabric and rags from your home. These can come in handy with the eco-friendly moving of the fragile China set. Also use them to wrap vases, glass decorative ornaments, dinnerware and anything delicate. This will protect them from scratching and breaking.
Another way to ensure the safe transportation of your items is by strengthening the bottoms of the boxes. Pad them by placing towels for extra softness. Photo frames will be well protected in pillowcases. You can also use them as bags for some of your clothes and small items.
If you've used up all the handy materials and still need to fill empty space, you may want to look into purchasing environmentally friendly ones. Most of them are biodegradable and are easy to source. Such are the packaging peanuts. A basic standard in the field are the Styrofoam ones but they pollute the environment and do not degrade. Target those made from corn or non-food plant materials. They are affordable, environmentally friendly, water-degradable or compostable. Bubble wrap is often used to wrap fragile items, but you can go for the corrugated one. It stretches and creates air pockets that allow the cardboard to wrap the items well and protect them from injury. You can subsequently reuse it for packaging or recycle it.
When you receive fragile parcels, you may have come across boxes filled with air pouches protecting your order. This is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to replace Styrofoam. Their main advantage is that air takes up a large amount of space, and you'll need to purchase fewer envelopes than other types of packing material. Look for air pouches that are made from recyclable plastic or biodegradable ones. Once you're done with your eco-friendly relocation, you can reuse them by placing them in soft purses. This will help these accessories keep their shape for longer.
What boxes and cartons to choose for an eco-friendly relocation?
Before you head for the familiar boxes, make sure you've used all the other packing tools first. These are suitcases, travel bags, large jackets and backpacks, canvas shopping bags. Remember, to be as eco-friendly as possible throughout the moving process, you need to start with what you already have.
Repurposing existing boxes of yours and others' is an eco-friendly and easy decision to make. You can visit your nearest supermarket and ask them to give you some of the boxes they have left after unpacking the goods. For them it is leftover cardboard, while for you it is a moving box. Turn their trash into your gold mine. Take the cartons only if they are sturdy and in good condition.
You can also ask at stores selling clothes, appliances, China sets, etc. They will have boxes of a more specific shape to use for the items in question. If you keep the original packaging of your massive items and machinery, use them without worry. Don't underestimate shoe boxes either. Except for your sneakers, you can fill them with small items that would easily get lost in the rest of your luggage.
If you want to avoid cardboard boxes as much as possible, go for reusable ones. Rent durable eco-friendly plastic containers for your eco-friendly relocation. These types of boxes are easy to stack in trucks and can hold a lot of belongings. Although they are made of plastic, they do not pollute because most companies recycle them and use the new material to make new boxes. By closing the loop, the carbon footprint is significantly reduced. You can keep them for longer and when you're done unpacking and tidying up in your new home, you can return them.
Not everything can fit into a box
It is a universal fact that some items are bulky and cardboard boxes are not suitable for packing them. This shouldn't bother you or restrict your eco-friendly relocation.
One of the main issues when relocating, is the furniture. To protect your chairs, you can wrap them with sheets or another type of textiles before putting them in the moving van. If their design allows for it, you can disassemble their legs and pack them separately. The same goes for tables, some sections, etc.
Some items may be large and heavy, but they could still fit safely through your doors. You don't necessarily have to carry them on your arms. Look for a trolley to load them into to make it easier to carry them out. You can purchase one from a building materials store for this purpose, but if you don't see how it will come in handy in the future, you can rent one. Another option is to ask your chosen transport company in advance if they have this type of trolleys and if they are included in the price of the chosen service. If the items are too large, you can use a moving lift with an operator and helper.
When you want to take your favourite sofa with you, first think about whether there will be room for it in your new home. Check if there are parts that can be disassembled before the move. If the sofa is very large, you need to consider how you will get it out of your home. You may need to detach doors from their hinges and remove thresholds for easier passage of the furniture. In the absence of family members who can lift the bulky furniture, contact professional helpers to remove it from your home. Once the sofa is placed in the transport vehicle, you can cover it with a sheet. Arrange lightweight boxes on it that will not deform it with their weight. This way, you will make the most of the space in the van.
Once you've got all the details ready, all that's left to do is trust your chosen transport company to do the rest. Go for a company that has an eco-friendly approach and aims to reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible. You can contact Movega Removals for assistance with the transportation of your possessions and the overall organisation of packing, loading and unloading. Find out more about all our services by booking a free consultation or using our contact form.
