Following up last month’s Homewatch post about moving into a condo, we’d like to feature another joint post with Cargo Cabbie that discusses a trend toward eco-friendly moving practices!
So… What Exactly Is ‘Sustainable Moving’?
Everybody dreads moving day; it’s potential for chaos can even overshadow the excitement of a new home! As your devise your moving strategies to make the day easier on yourself, why not make sure your move is easy on the environment as well? Even small steps can make a significant impact on reducing your carbon footprint. Given that a steadily increasing number of industries and individuals alike are embracing sustainable living and green initiatives, we each have a personal responsibility to be change-makers.
Here are some simple steps that will ensure your move is as eco-friendly as possible!
Planning Reduces Waste
It may sound simplistic, but proper planning can reduce waste, save time and money. Properly planned moves take less time, use fewer resources and really help make a stressful day a little easier. You’re going to want to start with creating or using an existing moving checklist. That way you won’t be scrambling on moving day making extra trips or stressing over things you forgot to account for. Moving Checklists should start at least a month before you move and will even be useful on moving day.
Lighten Your Load: Sell, Donate, Or Purge
If you’re moving less stuff, you’re using fewer resources. There is no point in moving garbage or items you no longer want or need. There are so many ways to unburden yourself of these items. From giving them away to friends, to donating, selling or even recycling, there are many ways to lighten your moving load. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used it in a year, you don’t need it.
Use Reusable Bins
Cardboard is often king. It’s easy to use and relatively inexpensive, but today there are better options for most moves. Reusable rental bins are probably the most effective way to reduce the environmental impact of your move. The bins are reusable and, when they eventually do wear out, they can be recycled. They also help protect your stuff and can actually reduce the time to move. Movers can stack them efficiently because they are all the same size. So more stuff will fit into a smaller truck. They also stack well on dollies. So every trip the mover makes to the truck will be more effective. An added bonus is you don’t have to fold up, bundle and put out that huge stack of cardboard boxes. Cargo Cabbie rents these bins and will drop them off and pick them up for free.
Clean Green: Natural Or Biodegradable Products
A big part of moving is often cleaning. You want to ensure you’re moving into a clean new home and you want to make sure you’re not bringing dust and contaminants along with you to your new place. Natural cleaning products don’t leave harmful residues and they pollute our drinking water.
Be The Change You Wish To See In The World
Beyond this list, there may be even more opportunities to embrace sustainable practices that are unique to your move. Just trust your instincts! When in doubt, keep the classic philosophy of the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!) in the back of your mind. As long as you’re concious of not needlessly creating waste or leaving your environment worse off than when you entered it, you’re already making a difference! It could even save you some cash in the end – what could be better than that?
Once the bins have been unpacked and you’ve settled in, consider what eco-friendly practices you could adopt to make your new home more sustainable. As major proponents of sustainability and green living we love to see eco-friendly strategies, building materials, and technologies incorporated into the tapestry of daily life.
THANK YOU to Cargo Cabbie and their top-notch professionals for contributing to this green Urbaneer blog!
401 Logan Ave, Unit 116
Toronto, ON
M4M – 2P2
(647) 478-5422
cargocabbie.ca
Perhaps you’re already a whiz at living green, but if not, here are two of our past blogs on housing and sustainability.
How To Embrace Sustainability In The Home
How Would Your Home Compare To A Sustainable Property?
And have you seen our blog category called The Healthy Home? It includes topics like What You Need To Know About Asbestos, What You Need To Know About Household Mold, and A Guide to Radon Exposure as well as broader topics such as What Are The Real Financial, Emotional And Health Costs Of Commuting?, On Cycling In The City: Then And Now and The Importance Of Accurate Homeowner Insurance Coverage.
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Steven Fudge, Sales Representative
& The Innovative Urbaneer Team
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage – (416) 322-8000
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