Well, then, read on and try out our eco-friendly moving tips if you:
- want to make sure that you don’t add to the carbon footprint during your relocation;
- wonder about what to look for when choosing an eco-moving company;
- wish to learn about the most effective green packing and moving tips and tricks;
We hope you’ll find our post inspiring and helpful.
How do you move in an eco-friendly way?
We all know that wishful thinking alone doesn’t get us anywhere unless we put whatever ideas we have into practice. And this is especially valid when it comes to anticipating all the preparation work before and during a house move. Unless you plan what you need to do in advance, things usually become a bit overwhelming and don’t pan out the way you thought, wouldn’t you agree?
Well, back to our topic. Did you know that making an effort to actually pack and move in an environmentally responsible way can help you avoid the double whammy of spending more money than you should and contributing to the carbon footprint? And again, good planning is what will prevent this from happening to you.
So, here are our eco-friendly moving tips that will help you make your sustainable house move a breeze!
1. Reduce the volume of your possessions for a zero-waste moving
Start with a clean slate by ignoring the urge to pack clutter that you can easily label it with “there’s still some life in it” or “well, auntie Margaret gave us this at our wedding”. In other words, get rid of everything that can go. In an eco-friendly fashion, that is. Recycle, give away to family, donate to charity shops, sell on eBay (and plump up your moving budget)… You get the gist.
Also, we are sure that you eat healthily and only locally sourced, fresh produce most of the time, but do empty out your freezer gradually, as well, instead of ending up throwing food away on moving day.
2. Pack green and save money in the process
Use packing materials that you have at home instead of driving to get moving boxes or ordering delivery of packing materials unless you really need to. Both of these add to unnecessary CO2 emissions and your moving costs. Search for sustainable moving boxes if you insist on packing your belongings in a box.
Yeh, yeh, we’ve heard about the 40% recyclable bubble wrap. But what about the other 60%? Get your scissors and sacrifice some faded, worn-out bed sheets and towels to wrap your fragile. Use up all your shopping bags “for life” to cushion whatever breakables you’ve got, like plates and glasses.
Ask friends and family for any boxes lying around in garden sheds and attics, be it from their new immersion heater or washing machine. Surely, you’ve got a couple, too. Fill gaps and corners in boxes with towels and throw-overs to protect your possessions. Mirrors and pictures in frames may well fit in pillow cases, too.
And naturally, fill up all your sturdy suitcases, hiking rucksacks and the like with stuff, as well. Last but not least, don’t be lazy and pack smart by dismantling furniture, so you don’t hire two vehicles or make more than one trip to your new destination (say, if it’s not miles away from your old one).
3. Clean up in a nature-friendly way
You may not have much choice in how to deep clean the place before vacating it if you’re moving out of a rented property, and your agreement stipulates to resort to a professional move-out cleaning service. But if you spend the time to shop around, you can easily come across an end of tenancy cleaning company that works with eco-friendly detergents and cleaning products.
Or you can just roll up your sleeves and do the cleaning yourself, whether you’re moving out of your own home after selling it or you’re simply not restricted by any special rental clauses. Go as green as you want and use up those vinegar and lemon juice bottles and some soda that you have at home. And as you can guess, this will cost you only a few drops of sweat.
4. Skip making unnecessary trips
You’d probably agree that during a relocation, we all subconsciously feel that we must be doing tons of stuff but end up running around like headless chickens. You, too, probably get restless with each day before the big move comes and start going to places to fill forms, fetch things, cancel contracts and so on.
Well, try to sit back first and work out which of these pre-move activities actually requires driving – one of the most Nature-unfriendly ways to get around. Go online to cross whatever you can off your to-do list and the rest, try to complete in one or two trips.
5. Get a quote from an eco-friendly moving company
Don’t get tempted to call in numerous removal companies to come to your doorstep to estimate the load and give you a quote if you want to be in tune with your eco-friendly moving efforts. Instead, do your homework online and pick a home removals service provider that offers video surveys rather than on-site visits for that precise quote you expect.
This way, you will not only save yourself the hassle of letting strangers into your home, attic, and garden shed, but you will also help the environment. A visit by a removal team, driving 5-10 miles to get to your home, will produce 10-20 times more CO2 emissions than what a quick video tour of your house would do.
6. Pick a sustainable removal company
Well, it’s best to research and find out about other environmentally-friendly aspects of any prospective moving services you may want to book. Look into how the removal company approaches the transportation stage of their assistance. Do the drivers choose the quickest route to your new location? How fuel-efficient is the company’s fleet? Does the service provider offer recyclable packing materials? And to mention again, can you get a quotation via a video call?
7. Keep up with the green cause in your new home
Right then, you’ve made it. You’re now happily relocated to your new place. All the unpacking and organising are done. However, don’t suddenly give up on your green efforts now! You can do so much more!
Make sure that you recycle all your packing materials for a start. Refresh your new house by using bio-cleaning products. Fit all the lights with LED bulbs. Also, why not start up a compost bin in your backyard or try composting indoors? Furthermore, you can explore your neighbourhood on a bike rather than in your car. And really say NO to using anything disposable that is made of plastic! Check our post on how to reduce plastic use for more information.
Want to book a green moving company?
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly moving company in London, then Fantastic Services can be your reliable relocation assistant anytime. We operate 7 days a week, including on public holidays, so you can pick the most convenient moving day.
What’s more, is that we can offer you a quote after a time-saving and Nature-friendly video survey. We can also provide you with completely recyclable moving boxes and even pack all your stuff for you. In addition, the removals teams we work with always use their GPS systems to take the quickest route to your new location.
Last but not least, we can put some of your belongings into temporary storage or arrange for their disposal and recycling so that you don’t stress and worry about where to place them or how to get rid of them.
Moving soon?
Hire an environmentally-conscious removals team now!
Takeaways
- Moving house sustainably is not that hard if you plan ahead well.
- Reduce your carbon footprint during your move by recycling, reusing and driving less.
- Avoid using harsh chemicals when cleaning your old or new house.
- Pick an eco-moving company in a smart and environmentally friendly way – via a video call.
- Don’t drop the green cause once you are settled in your new home!
Image source: shutterstock /Thanakorn.P