4 Simple Steps You Can Take to Lower Your Carbon Footprint While Moving

25 Apr 4 Simple Steps You Can Take to Lower Your Carbon Footprint While Moving

Moving can be extremely stressful; there’s no denying that. And trying to keep your carbon footprint low while keeping your sanity intact is usually more than even the “greenest” of us can bare. But fear not! Here are four very simple eco-friendly steps you can take while you’re moving that will make the planet and your environmentally-conscious soul happy!

Rent Plastic Bins Instead of Buying Corrugated Boxes

Renting plastic bins has a variety of advantages over buying boxes, not the least of which is its eco-friendliness. Each plastic bin can be used and reused up to 400 times, and these containers significantly reduce the amount of paper that is produced for cardboard boxes, which helps to save our planet’s valuable resources. Environmental-friendliness and sustainability aside, plastic bins offer several other practical benefits. These bins eliminate the time you’d spend assembling, taping, and the disassembling cardboard boxes, they have handles which make them easier to lift and carry, and they are made to stack and nest easily. They are made from high-density polyethylene plastic, which makes them sturdy, water-resistant, and more protective of belongings than cardboard boxes. Additionally, renting plastic bins for your move can be up to 30% less expensive than buying boxes. Easier on the planet, easier on your wallet!

At Binefit, we offer affordable and eco-friendly bin rentals for your moves. Our quotes are based on a two-week time frame, but additional weeks can be arranged easily. All we need to know is square footage and number of bedrooms to provide a quote. And did we mention that bin drop-off and pickup is always free?!

Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Green cleaning products tend to be better for the environment and your health, but sometimes it’s hard to balance doing what’s right for the Earth and actually getting your stuff clean. While there’s no “one-definition-fits-all” for green products, make sure you check the labels of your cleaning products for boasts like plant-based ingredients or “phosphate-” or “chlorine-free.” If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the store, some of our favorite go-to green cleaning brands are Green Works, Mrs. Meyers (especially the Lavender and Lemon Verbena scents!), and Seventh Generation.

Common household items such as baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar are well-known for their cleaning prowess. Baking soda is an excellent all-purpose cleaner and can be used in almost any room of the house. Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet and it’s a wonderful deodorizer, or use it to clean household appliances like the stove or oven to cut through grime and grease. Lemon juice is frequently used in the kitchen to clean things like cutting boards, grills, or copper cookware. And a baking soda and water solution can be used to clean smelly bathrooms and toilets, the insides of refrigerators and microwaves, and laminate countertops. And finally, essential oils such as Lemon, Tea Tree, and Orange oils, which leave your home smelling incredible while fighting germs, grease, and bacteria.

Recycle Consumer Electronics

Recycling consumer electronics – instead of throwing them away – helps to preserve our natural resources by ensuring that the harmful toxins inside these products are not released into the environment. Additionally, materials such as steel, aluminum, plastic, copper and other precious metals can be repurposed and given new life in new products. If you’re recycling your computer, cell phone, or another device that has private or sensitive data on it, don’t forget to delete that data first! You may even want to destroy your computer’s hard drive. After that, proper disposal and recycling are easy! If you are local and live in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb counties, each county has its own Household Hazardous Waste program where you can drop off your hazardous waste for proper disposal and/or recycling on a designated day. Best Buy also offers an Electronic Recycling Program in Michigan.

Donate Instead of Toss

Many of us don’t realize the amount of stuff we have until it’s time to move it. And with this realization, it’s not uncommon for us to get so overwhelmed with our excess belongings that we just discard everything in sight. However, there is a direct connection between your move and the opportunity to do good for someone in need, so seize it! When sorting through your belongings and deciding if you want to take them with you or not, don’t forget to stop and take a moment to assess whether your gently used items still have life in them and can be donated. Not everything is appropriate for donating; very old, worn-out, or stained clothing will have little use for a donation center. If you’re not sure, ask yourself if you would be embarrassed to offer it to a friend. If are still on the fence, but know you need it out of your way, storing your things with Binefit is a great short-term option that provides you with a clutter-free space without the permanence of never seeing your things again.

Good luck with your move!