There is so much in your mind when you are in the planning stage of moving home. Thinking about the logistics of getting your belongings from your old home to your new one will take so much of your time. Due to this, you probably would miss thinking how a home move can impact the environment. Yes, moving home is such a wasteful process. You will find a bunch of stuff at home you haven’t used for a long time and if you don’t have enough time to think about what to do with them, chances are, you will end up throwing them away without proper disposal. Moving involves using packing materials like moving boxes, bubble wraps, and packing paper. If you’re not resourceful enough, you will find yourself buying these materials and they are going to end up in a landfill after your using them. And getting all your belongings transferred to your new home, whether by yourself or by Singapore movers, also means you will need a moving truck which, of course, will consume fuel.
Now that you have awareness, it’s time you evaluate your decisions when planning a home move and consider how you can make it gentle so our environment won’t have to suffer. Planning in advance and using these creative tips can help a lot in your journey for a more sustainable home move.
Declutter before you pack
When moving to a new home, it’s impractical to bring all your stuff that you have in your old home. You will probably discover that half of what you own, you haven’t even been using for a long period of time. Moving them is just a waste of effort, packing materials, and space in the moving truck. So, prior to packing your stuff, identify those items you no longer want or need in your new home and find a way to dispose of them. The fewer items you move, the more you will save on packing materials. Plus, you won’t get too exhausted in packing and moving a lot of stuff. Or if you’re hiring movers, you’ll pay less since you have fewer items to move.
Donate or sell unwanted items
You don’t need to throw away items that you no longer want, but are still in good condition. The smartest thing to do is to donate. Find a local charity where you can donate used goods like toys, books, furniture, clothes, linens and even kitchenware. Some charities will even be happy to pick them up. Or, if your budget for moving home is a little tight and you want to earn extra cash to help you out, you can choose to sell some of the items you don’t plan to bring to your new home. Organize a garage sale and let friends and neighbors know about it. Taking advantage of online marketplaces is also a good way of selling your used goods.
Use sustainable packaging materials
Like what was mentioned, home moving involves the use of packing materials – it is something that is unavoidable. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you will need to buy all the materials you need. Be resourceful and creative. Go to your local shops and ask for boxes they no longer use. You can also check around your home and look for something that you can use as moving containers like your suitcases, duffel bags or backpacks, laundry baskets, buckets, trash bins and drawers. You can also substitute bubble wraps and packing paper as cushions with the use of items such as towels, blankets, bedsheets, old clothes and socks, old magazines and newspapers.
If you’re hiring movers in Singapore for your move, they might also offer recycled boxes for free. Be sure to ask them!
Avoid food waste
A few weeks before your moving day, start thinking about how you can consume the food items you have and avoid trips to the grocery store. Check what you have in your fridge and cupboard and think about what you can cook with those. Be sure to consume the perishables first. If you still have some left, you can also donate them to local food banks.
Find a way for sustainable transport
Whether you are going for a DIY move or hiring a mover for your relocation, a moving vehicle will be involved, unless you are only moving a few doors down. Make sure to plan an efficient transport. Having fewer items to move means you won’t have to use a big moving truck that consumes more fuel, or you won’t need to make multiple trips to get all your belongings to your new home. Consider using fuel-efficient vehicles or finding a moving company that has this type of vehicle. Ask movers if they can organize backload or consolidated delivery for you, wherein you share the moving truck with other customers, and which is another way to make the transport of your belongings more sustainable, and at the same time lower your expenses. This is something that can easily be done when looking for a mover using the Wise Move platform. Movers within the Wise Move platform are mostly already on the road looking to fill in the remaining space on their trucks. You just need to submit one listing and Wise Move will look for Singapore movers to pick up your belongings and have them delivered to your new home.
It might be impossible to not have any waste generated during a home move, but it doesn’t mean you can’t make it gentler for the environment. And after all your belongings have been safely moved to your new home, don’t forget to continue being eco-conscious. Recycle packing materials that can still be used and properly dispose of those that are no longer usable. Clean your new home using chemicals that aren’t harsh for the environment. Use energy-saving light bulbs and appliances. Live sustainably!