Millions of households, especially Americans, move houses every year. Imagine how many packing boxes, unwanted junk, and unnecessary things are thrown out every year. Sadly, moving homes is harmful to the environment. In fact, climate change is one of the most talked-about topics in 2022. 

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You can lessen your carbon footprint by ensuring that you remain eco-friendly in your move. This page covers the eight tips and practices you should follow to reduce the burden on the environment when moving. If you want to remain in an eco-friendly lifestyle, then follow these sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to change houses.

Donate, gift, and sell.

Moving is a sign of a fresh start. You may be tempted to throw everything in boxes so that you can immediately enter your new home; however, you should avoid this. Packing everything entails spending lots of time organizing your items when you arrive and donating or throwing the things you don’t need.

Downsizing before your move has a lot of benefits. You can move while only carrying the things that you need. You will utilize less energy and less gas and cut down your carbon footprint. It would take extra effort to separate the items before moving, but in this way, you can enter your new home with the stuff you truly need and love.

What should you do about the items you don’t need? You can either donate it, give it to a friend, or sell it. Avoid throwing your items out at all costs. Many things that don’t serve you a purpose anymore may be helpful for someone else. Practice responsible gifting, donating, selling, and recycling items rather than throwing them away.

Use eco-friendly moving boxes, bins, and materials.

Using eco friendly moving boxes means you’re cutting down on plastic and packing peanuts that no longer have a purpose after moving day. You can minimize waste by reusing eco-friendly containers and bins. You may use these reusable boxes for a later date if you plan on moving again. 

Additionally, you should also ensure that the supplies you use are eco-friendly. Many forget the little things like packing tape. But did you know that you can use paper tape rather than the usual plastic tape? It’s true! You can find paper tape products on the market. The glue of these products is also biodegradable.

Instead of using plastic and packing peanuts, you can use soft blankets, towels, and dishcloths instead of these disposable packing items. By using what you have, you can ensure less waste. You can help save the climate, environment, and forests by using eco-friendly boxes, bins, and materials.

Use pre-loved supplies.

Have a recent family member or friend moved homes? Then, they may probably have moving materials stored in their home that they don’t likely need. You can ask for these pre-loved supplies from them so that you would eliminate the need to purchase new ones. It is also to ensure that nothing goes to waste. These simple actions create a significant impact on the environment.

Be careful of how you dispose of chemicals.

You cannot leave your home messy and unclean. So, when cleaning your home, ensure that you dispose of hazardous materials and cleaning chemicals properly. You have instructions on how to dispose of it at your disposal. Most cleaning products have instructions on how to dispose of them at the back of the product; just read and follow the instructions. 

Recycle moving supplies after the move.

Avoid simply throwing the supplies you used in your move. Like you, someone else may also need these items. You can readopt these supplies to someone else; post them on Facebook Market or OfferUp that you want to sell it. Additionally, you can also use it for storage in your garage. 

Avoid unnecessary trips.

Avoid going back and forth from your old home to your new house. Fuel isn’t very eco-friendly. The more trips you take back and forth, the more negative impact you make on the environment. Cut down on these unnecessary trips by only bringing things you need. 

Hire movers who care about the environment.

Hire movers who care about the environment. These moving companies will prioritize eco-friendly practices and ensure that you move houses with the minimum amount of environmental impact. Be sure to hire a moving company that has a sustainable moving vehicle. 

Don’t stop being environmentally conscious.

Make your new home green! There are numerous ways to ensure that your new home living space is more environmentally friendly. The following are just some of the things you can do to continue being environmentally conscious:

  • Continue researching ways to remain green.
  • Install LED light bulbs.
  • Turn off lights in a room if you aren’t using them. Just keep the lights that you genuinely need open.
  • Unplug appliances you aren’t using.
  • Plant flowers and plants!

Final Thoughts

When moving houses, you should plan ahead of time. To ensure a sustainable and eco-friendly move, follow the things above. A comprehensible plan would ensure the success of your goal to ensure that you won’t harm the environment further.