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Going Green: Relocation in the Green Nation

aeliasen
Employee
Employee

Did you know that according to our last U.S. Census, about 12 percent of Americans move every year?  With that many people moving, there are a number of opportunities to implement greener practices when relocating. Here are some tips to "eco-boost" your next move:
  • Utilize reusable bins when moving. This will help you organize your items, and the bins can be reused as storage when you get to your new location.  Or, rent reusable bins from your moving company.  These bins are typically stacked and wheeled into your place on a dolly; left there for you to fill; packed by the mover; and then left at your new address for a week or two for unpacking.  Since the provider of the bins then collects them, there’s no worry on your part about collapsing, recycling, or donating cardboard boxes.  If your mover doesn’t offer bins, there are plenty who do: RentAGreenBox.com, EZBins, and Zippgo are just a few examples.
  • Clean out closets and drawers prior to moving. You can donate gently used items you no longer need to shelters and consignment stores. Moving with fewer items will also burn less fuel in your car or moving van.
  • Use biodegradable replacements. There are green alternatives to plastic bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and foam wrap.  Often, the alternatives are literally green in color, to alert you to the difference.  Green packing peanuts are made from bioplastics, a form of plastic derived from renewable sources like vegetable oils or corn starch.
  • Get creative with what you have.  Perhaps the most resourceful way to securely pack your fragile belongings is to wrap them with towels, bedding, and clothing that you already have lying around the house.  And, it’s a “two-fer,” since you need to pack these items anyway.
This week’s bonus Green Tuesday tip comes from Denver-based Flight Attendant Stefan Braham, who submitted his idea to the Southwest Green Team: If you do use cardboard boxes to move, after you have finished with them, cut them up and make one layer of cardboard under a three-to-four-inch layer of topsoil. The cardboard holds moisture that isn't otherwise available and makes a fantastic weed blocker, as well.  Each year or two, simply till the old cardboard into the soil for additional moisture retention and replace the layer with new cardboard. Stefan’s garden in Colorado is doing as well as the one he had in Delaware, even though his garden receives just 25 percent of the rainfall he experienced on the East Coast.  Thank you, Stefan, for sharing! What are some of the Green tips you utilize in your home or at work? Let us know by commenting below.  DING!  You are now free to be Green.