Moving has traditionally not been a very earth friendly industry with the use of gas burning trucks necessary to haul the average persons household goods sometimes as far sometimes as across the country. The burning of fossil fuels and toxic emissions from interstate hauling are a serious problem for planet Earth and eco concious consumers are hungry for more choices.
Green moving companies now offer biofuel trucks in local areas or fuel credits for carbon offset programs but fossil fuels will dominate the trucking industry for many years to some by limitations inn existing technology and infrastructure. Eco fuel stations and retro fitting of existing fuel depots will be a costly expenditure on local governments and business owners. Adding bio fuel capabilities to existing petrol gas stations sounds simple but its not. Delivery of eco friendly fuels and costs involved in storage are going to be tough to overcome for the transportation industry if a direct haul moving truck is what you need.
Moving green is not as easy as buying carbon credits to replace the ones you use moving from state and we all need to look at how to reduce what we consume and transport. Making the right choices and planning your next move can make earth friendly moving and relocation much easier on you and the planet.
Here are 10 tips for earth friendly green moving and relocation services.
1* Less is always best for planet earth and the less stuff you have to move the better off you will be come your moving day. Letting go of our personal things is most often the hardest thing for people to do but getting rid of clutter and junk before you move will save on your moving expense.
2* Get rid of everything you no longer use or need before you begin packing and then do your best to not replace things as soon as you get to your new home. Consider having a garage or yard sale, or selling your unused items online at places like eBay auctions or maybe Craigslist and the local newspaper or online classifieds.
3* Buy used cardboard boxes online but ONLY if you cannot find them locally as the added shipping is always bad and it’s just better to clean up your own neighborhood first. Even the best moving companies will most often prefer that their clients use brand spanking new moving boxes when they move to help provide stability and so they can sell more boxes, which means a lot of very good condition and barely used cardboard moving boxes get tossed after only one use. If you are using cardboard moving boxes, look for boxes made with the most post consumer recycled material and offer them to someone else when you are finished. If necessary recyle the boxes but do not just throw them away.
4* Rent reusable moving boxes and packing crates made of recycled plastic materials when packing which can eliminate the waste of cardboard boxes altogether and provide more secure storage for valuables. Many local movers now provide these rental services through companies that manufacture bins of recycled plastics or you might have to find your own company willing to do that for you.
5* Use recycled newspapers for non-fragile items, or even old bed sheets, linens or towels as packing material in your boxes and forget about those nasty plastic bubble wraps and styrofoam peanuts. Recycled Newspaper may end up weighing more but anything you can do to cut down on the amount of petrol based plastics used in your move helps the environment. Be sure to recycle the old newspaper when you unpack at your new home. There is no sense in bringing your garbage with you to a new home is there?
6* Always try to use environmentally friendly house cleaning products and methods of waste disposal when cleaning up an existing home or apartment before you plan on moving out. Eco friendly companies like Seventh Generation and other national brands of green cleaning products offer a variety of items such as soaps and sanitizers plus toilet bowl cleaners, dish washing powders and even carpet cleaners that are environmentally friendly. In todays earth conscious society green cleaning products can be everywhere including big box stores like Target and even Walmart where most everything is “Made in Communist China”. Also make sure that you don’t forget to dispose of hazardous items like electronics, batteries and toxic chemicals according to local regulations.
7* Whenever possible hire green moving companies that only use Earth friendly business practices in their day to day operations. A leader in the green relocation industry is Go Green Moving Company which owns their own fleet of bio diesel powered moving trucks. Green movers will also use moving pads made from 100% recycled or sustainable grown materials, provide reusable boxes and recycle all packing supplies and waste involved in your move.
8* Ask that your moving company employ eco-friendly business practices for your move, especially if it doesn’t already do so as a standard. Have them purchase alternative fuels and show them how they can do so using online services such as MapQuest or Google. If more moving companies believe that consumers are demanding environmentally friendly moves, the moving industry will feel obligated to adopt more green moving methods.
9* Give back to the planet and plant a tree in your new yard to produce oxygen that will offset anything you created on your move. Give your tree a name and a birthdate and take care of it like you would any other living being with your children, friends or family. Get everyone involved in planting more fruit bearing trees and feed the world
10* A new home should mean a new life for you and your family and the biggest thing you can do when you move it to change the way you live. Go green and organic in everything you do for the rest of your life and make a real change in your own world. From consuming less to recycling more try to be a better more earth friendly human and make the task of your next move to a new home into the dream of being a better and happier person.
Written by Affordable Movers<. Get free
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