Green Thinking Blog

In a recent drive down the road some friends and I noticed an unusual amount of U-Haul trucks around.  A lot of people are moving at this time of year, myself included.  (I am very excited about our new house, but that may be another post)

The thing about moving is, you need boxes.  You need bags, you need friends, you need to throw things out, you need to get new things.   This can create a lot of waste, and a lot of unecessary waste. 

1.  Boxes - I cannot believe that people actually go to a store & purchase brand new boxes.  Give me a break!  Here are some things I do, and I hope you do too.

• I work at a large facility that gets a lot of shipments in cardboard boxes.  Our company recycles cardboard, but I need those boxes!  So I just ask for them.  Simply put, ask companies if you could please take their empty boxes.
• I have also been in a habit of moving every year, I am pretty much a professional now, but because of that, I found it easier to purchase reusable tubs.  These tubs are large enough for me to handle, stack inside one another, and fit in a closet for future use.  Plus, your friends love to borrow them!
• When you are finished, recycle the cardboard. Puhlease!  Most neighborhood recycling plants take cardboard boxes, just be sure to break them down.  If not,  check out this site that will collect your moving boxes and reuse them.

2.  You need to throw things out.

• Of course you do!  Who the heck wants to move stuff they never use?!  So, here is how you do it, responsibly. Ask your friends if they want it.  This is how I have acquired a lot of my goods - my friends gave it to me. 
• Have a garage sale!  Everyone loves garage sales!  Ours is next weekend, and we wanted all our friends to enjoy the hot weather, the hunt of a bargain, and the glorious funds we will reap, so we bribed them by making it a breakfast gathering.  Quiche & mimosas anyone?  So, any dollars we do make, can help purchase the new necessities for our abode.
• Donate.  We have heard it before & we will say it again, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  This statement is something that donation collection agencies have lived off of for years!  Your items do not have to go in the trash or landfills for years & years, someone else wants them.  It is wierd, even that sweater your Great Aunt made for you, with the walrus on it, someone wants it.
• Anything else.  Dispose of properly.  Check out our earlier post, “Gettin Rid of Electronic Junk,” for resources.

3. You need to buy things.  Everytime you move into a new place, you need to get some new stuff, it is just the facts of life.  But you don’t need to go crazy!  However, if you do go crazy, make sure you do it where your new live-in boyfriend or girlfriend can’t see you…haha (but I am a little serious).  Remember the phrases you have heard over and over again: Buy locally, buy fair trade, buy eco-friendly. 

• The same rules apply in your new home, maybe even more so.  Make it a goal to be a little more environmentally conscious everyday in your new house.  This could be something very simple, like purchasing longer lasting lightbulbs. 
• For some really neat decor check out Ten Thousand Villages.  Another good place to look is your local markets and art events, you could discover the very next big name to hit the art arena!

Happy Moving!

Remember, food & drinks can do wonders to bribe extra sets of hands to get in on the moving action!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 5:00 am and is filed under Activities, Lifestyle, Uncategorized, Waste. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.