5 Environmentally Friendly Ways To Take The Stress Out Of Moving House

There’s no denying it; moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do. And if you’re environmentally conscious, it can feel like it’s hard to keep that stress down in an eco-friendly way, which adds to stress levels. The good news is that there are plenty of clever ways to keep costs and stress levels down in an earth-friendly way.

Use What You Have

You’ll already have plenty of items in your home that are perfect for use as packing materials. Breakables can be wrapped in towels and bedding, cutting down on the need for expensive unrecyclable protective wrapping. Similarly, sizeable containers, such as drawers and clean reusable shopping bags, reduce the need for sourcing cardboard boxes. Using such items have the added benefit of saving you money on packing costs.

Kraft Paper

Kraft packing paper is ideal for use as void fill-in boxes as it’s lightweight yet robust enough to hold heavy items in place. It’s also fully recyclable in your paper recycling bin, meaning it is easy to dispose of it when you’re finished with it. A pro tip is to scrunch it to fill the space in your boxes, then fold tidily together, leaving more space in the recycle bin.

Black kraft paper roll doubles as entertainment for the kids while you’re unpacking. It’s excellent for drawing on, so give them chalks or crayons and let them draw on paper that has come out of boxes as you unpack. You benefit from children not getting underfoot and the reuse of packing supplies before recycling.

If you have the storage space and don’t fancy throwing the used paper into the recycling straight away, keep it for reuse another day. It’ll make quirky gift wrap paper, especially if it’s been drawn on. And again, you’ll have a ready supply of paper for arts and crafts. It may not make the moving day itself less stressful, but further down the line, you’ll thank yourself.

Corn Starch Packing Peanuts

If kraft paper doesn’t fulfill your void fill needs, another ecologically sound option is corn starch packing nuts. Unlike their polystyrene counterparts, packing peanuts made of corn starch are fully biodegradable and compostable. As the name suggests, this packing material is literally made from corn and therefore can be composted safely. If you’re hungry enough, you can even eat them, though they’ll be bland compared to a corn cob slathered in butter!

Packing peanuts are ideal for protecting delicate and fragile items, so using them with other fill materials is a great strategy. Corn starch packing peanuts are the same to be sent internationally, so if you’re moving a long way, that’s one less concern.

Cardboard Boxes

Once you have bought a new house and know you have a move on the horizon, it’s time to start collecting cardboard boxes. Thankfully these are a common commodity, and therefore, it’s relatively easy to find a source of suitable containers. A few polite inquiries around local shops, especially grocery stores, could land you a gold mine of sturdy boxes. Businesses are usually delighted to offload some recycling to other places, and food boxes are ideally sized for house moves.

Cardboard boxes from removal companies tend to be highly robust and can be reused multiple times. Therefore, third or fourth-hand boxes are an excellent option for saving yourself money ahead of a big move. Asking on local social media pages is another superb source of packing boxes, as people would prefer to pass on used movers’ boxes than see them go to waste.

Green Credential Moving Companies

The ultimate way for a hassle- and stress-free move is to hire a removal company to take care of the packing and taking for you. But not all moving companies are the same, with some still relying heavily upon practices that aren’t great for the environment. Thankfully there are plenty of removal companies that employ a variety of green methods, giving you peace of mind in your choice.

You can choose to have the removalists pack your whole house, a brilliant option if you are busy with other things. They’ll pack your belongings in eco-friendly packaging and move them in the most environmentally conscious manner possible.

Although there are many unavoidable things about moving that are stressful, there are plenty of ways you can reduce that stress. And by making careful choices, you can care for the environment simultaneously, further reducing that stress.