12 Easy Tips For Greener House Moves

New home, new you! A big house move can be life changing. It’s a time many people look at the way they’re living and make positive changes (“I’m going to eat more healthily.”, “I’m going to start jogging.”, “I’m going to live in a kibbutz… So the kids can’t find me.”). Many of us want to have less impact on the natural world around us and moving home is the ideal time to turn over a greener leaf. Here are some easy ways to make moving home gentler on the environment.

Get Free Boxes

Lots of shops and companies pay for used boxes to be taken away. Rather than buy purpose made new boxes, look for somewhere willing to give you boxes for free. Sites like Facebook Marketplace often have listings of people giving away moving boxes after their move.

Use Recyclable Materials

If you are buying boxes, make sure they are made from recycled cardboard and that they can be recycled after your move. Avoid using plastic fastening tape as this will have to be removed from the boxes before they’re recycled.

Acid Free Paper

Yes, many paper manufacturers use bleaches and acids in the production of paper. This is not only bad for the environment, it can be harmful to your items. Recycled, acid-free paper is better for wrapping breakable items.

Say ‘No’ To Plastic Bubble Wrap

Another easy thing to avoid is plastic bubble wrap. There are plastic-free alternatives which can be recycled and still make that nice’ popping sound when you squeeze them!

Smarter Packing Tricks

Wrap fragile items in towels, sheets and soft fabrics. You’ll need to pack fabric items anyway so this is a handy space saving hack. You can also ask family and friends for unwanted fabric such as old clothes, sheets, etc and cut them up into smaller pieces to wrap items. Once your move is complete you can list them for free to other house movers or take the used material pieces to a recycling centre where they’ll be transformed into new fabrics and greener products.

Use A Greener Removal Company

Not all removals companies share your environmental ethos. When choosing your movers, ask them about their green credentials. At Armishaws we’re proud to be market leaders in eco moving. As well as a host of greener working practises we have started a tree planting program close to our Somerset HQ. We’re not merely paying for trees, we’ve bought the land and are planting the trees ourselves. We’re committed to protecting both the trees and creating vital habitat for plants and animals.

You can read more about our Armishaws Eco Pledge here…

Avoid Food Waste

Ahead of your move, start planning meals and rather than restocking, using what you already have in the cupboards and freezer to avoid food waste. As the move date draws closer, stick to buying fresh foods, this will also reduce waste and packaging.

Buy Natural Cleaning Products

When cleaning your old home before you go and new home as you arrive, use eco-friendly cleaning products. There’s now a huge range of environmentally sound cleaning products, some can be a little more expensive but shops like refill stores have some budget friendly options.

Greener Future

Once you’re in your new home, start as you mean to go on by switching to greener products (like cleaning fluids, etc). It really is the perfect time to start afresh and became a more environmentally aware household. You can also switch to green energy suppliers, start composting, growing your own veg and a whole host of positive changes.

Upcycle Old Furniture

If you have old furniture you don’t want to take with you or just want a new look for your new home, then upcycling furniture is a great option. There are plenty of chalk-based paints and products to transform furniture. The internet is a mine of furniture upcycling ideas and “How to…” videos. If you don’t fancy giving it a go yourself, there are groups up and down the country that accept furniture to train youngsters and special students to give furniture a new look and second lease of life. Some groups sell their new creations to make money for good causes or fund their students. Win/win!

Say No To Landfill

Most items can be given a second life. Old toys, crockery, bikes, electrical goods, that can all be reused or upcycled (there are companies that will strip electrical items of useable materials). If you’re letting things go, you can add a free listing on sites like; Freebay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace. Some items could go to charity shops, clothes and blankets can go to homeless shelters and there are charities that will take furniture, bikes, toys that run free shops for people and families in need.

Check Your Traders

If you’re employing a local trader to dispose of unwanted items when eco moving, check their credentials. Sadly, there are unscrupulous people that will take your money, take your unwanted items and rather than dispose of them properly, they’ll find somewhere to fly tip. Not only can this come back and haunt you (your items could be traced back to you and you’ll face a fine), but it’s costly to clear up and incredibly damaging for the environment. Check their waste license and make sure it’s legit (this can be checked online).

Got any green moving tips you think we should know? We’re always keen to hear from others that share our green ethos and have new, exciting eco-solutions. If you do have some handy eco-hacks, tips, tricks or have questions about your house move then get in touch.

If you want more house moving hints and ideas, our blog is written with the help of our house moving experts and a great free resource we’re happy for you to use which will hopefully help take away some of the worries and hassles often associated with relocating.