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Ingenious Eco-Friendly Ideas to Move Furniture to Another Place
Moving to another home marks an important time in our lives. The actual process of shifting is not so easy, and it really hurts your wallet. Expected challenges include worrying if the house movers will turn up, organizing who will take care of your pets and kids on the shifting day, and other issues. However, it’s not only you who feels the pinch, but the environment does too.
We are in an era where we are very keen when it comes to being mindful of our environment. However, we tend to forget the environmental cost of shifting from one place to another. The good news is that there are ways that we can move without harming the environment, even if we are trying to relocate across the country. However, our relocation needs to be planned well.
It is important to know that relocating emits huge amounts of CO2. You may produce up to 16.8kgs per shift. Understanding this fact will enable you to make informed decisions when moving your furniture. In this article, you will find a list of eco-friendly ways you can move your furniture to another place.
Declutter the Furniture
When you are planning to shift, it is important to only pack the items that you need and possibly will need in the near future. The idea here is the less furniture you shift, the less space you will require and probably less trips. Although we mentioned that disposable furniture isn’t great for the environment, there are a lot of times when it is better to just get rid of it. You can always bring it to Goodwill. This means that you will need less fuel, which in turn means less CO2 emitted to the environment during transport.
The advantage of decluttering is that you get to save a huge deal of money when you move only the furniture that you need. If you have less furniture to move, the lower your moving charges will be. While decluttering, be careful not to litter the environment. Schools, churches, and children homes will highly appreciate such donations.
Use Eco-Friendly Packaging
During the moving process, make sure to use packing materials that are environmentally friendly. The Green Business Bureau has a list of great eco-friendly packaging materials. Such materials need to be biodegradable and recyclable. Cardboard boxes are a good choice for moving furniture. The good thing about them is they are recyclable too. Instead of rushing to the store to buy new ones, you can reuse the old boxes. Cardboard boxes are also durable and can be used up to 7 times before the end of their lifecycle. When purchasing cardboard boxes, make sure to use those made with recycled cardboard.
Be Creative and Use Materials You own
This method saves you money in the process. When you’re considering moving your furniture in an environmentally friendly manner, it is vital to look around your house for materials that you will still be moving anyway, but you had not noticed them until that time. Using your creativity, improvise and use them to accommodate your furniture.
Examples of such materials include items such as suitcases, trash cans, bags. Trash cans are usually huge and can accommodate various pieces of furniture when clean. Suitcases are also effective for moving smaller furniture. However, if the furniture is heavy, you will need to consider using a roller suitcase with wheels.
Creativity involves improvising cushioning and wrapping materials. Regular blankets bear protective attributes and can be used to shield delicate pieces of furniture.
Use Eco-Friendly House Movers
To minimize the environmental effect when shifting furniture, you need to employ the services of a company that appreciates the environment too. Nowadays, there is a plethora of companies that have invested in 100% eco-friendly practices and aim towards a cleaner and better environment.
A good green moving company ought to:
- Use biodiesel for their vehicles.
- Use modern vehicles that are fuel-efficient.
- Use GPS systems to plan for the most efficient routes to get to your destination.
- Consolidate consignments, where applicable, to save on resources, or even provide customers with discounts.
Before hiring a moving company, make sure to ask if the companies are keen to protect the environment. This should guide you when deciding which company to use.
Conclusion
When moving furniture, people find themselves running to the supermarket to buy packing materials. In most cases, the materials harm the environment. Not only are non-environmentally friendly materials harmful to the environment, but they also waste time and money.
Instead, look around your home and you will realize that it is full of materials you could use to pack your furniture. Using such materials can save you a huge chunk of money, and help you start off to a green life in your new home.