Protecting the environment is important to both businesses and customers alike. It is especially important to us here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. Many people don’t realize that moving can have a positive impact on the environment. But it can!
The moving process not only creates waste from packing supplies like moving boxes, but also from the waste accumulated over many years within a home or office. Both sources can be extremely taxing on the environment if the person moving doesn’t give it some thought.
Here are five ideas on how to make your move a greener, cleaner move.
- Plan ahead: If you wait until the last minute to prepare for a move, environmental concerns quickly become an afterthought. Starting early gives you extra time to sort through recyclable items in the garage, kitchen and basement for delivery to recycling depots prior to moving day. Typically your garage, basement and attic contain the highest concentration of recyclable waste so start the sorting process there first. Please consider holding a garage sale or donating gently used tools or small appliances to a charity rather than have them end up in a land fill site.
- Do your research: Survey local recycling options to find the most convenient solution for recyclables. Many cities offer curbside pick-up or “sort and drop” depots. Visit http://earth911.com/ for a list of local organizations that can dispose of all types of recyclable materials.
- Organize: Divide your recyclables into things that can be donated or sold, and things that need to be brought to a recycling facility. If you’re city requires it, organize your items into categories: plastic, glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, etc. Look up the requirements of your local recycler to see if there are any additional steps needed to prepare recyclables beforehand.
- Care for hazardous material: As you prepare to move, when you clean out your garage and basement be conscientious about the kinds of materials being packed to move with you and which items are to be thrown away. Toxic material, such as paint, batteries, house cleaning products, automobile oils, pesticides and fertilizers are dangerous and cannot be transported in the back of a commercial moving truck. Also consider these items cannot be thrown-out with your regular garbage. Look up the specialized recycling depots for toxic products in your city.
- Reuse: Do not throw away those used boxes when the move is complete! A well-made corrugated box is great for storage or may be reused for a future move. Contact local schools or charity organizations, such as women’s shelters, scout troops, and food banks to ask if they need boxes to redistribute donated items. Donating gently used boxes not only reduces waste, but can be a big help in support of a good cause.
With some thought and planning, moving doesn’t have to have a negative impact on the environment.