If you are preparing for moving, this is a big and exciting period for you. You must be extremely busy arranging your move and packing your belongings. Are you too busy to think about the environment? You shouldn’t be. Because when the going gets tough that is when the tough get going. Let’s remind ourselves how much we love our planet and go through our eco-friendly packing guidelines. It won’t be hard or expensive, I promise.
May decluttering fairy visit you
First of all, get on decluttering. As Gandhi said: “If you want to change the world, start with yourself.” We all like to keep all the things that remind us of beautiful moments. Also, we like to keep some things for just in case. Finally, some of them we are just too lazy to throw away. But fresh new beginning requires letting go of some old stuff. If you are worried about carrying or transport, professionals can do it for you. NYC movers and packers offer special service of decluttering your home. They will help in the blink of an eye.

Be kind and practical
Before you start filling the garbage bags, make a plan. You could maybe consider donating old clothes to charity. We all have a bunch of clothes we don’t wear but we keep them just in case we feel like wearing them again. Believe it or not, you won’t wear them, or miss them. But someone else will. If you have broken devices, consider giving them to the device-recycling center. It is much better than just leaving them by the dumpster, especially if they are unusable.
Reuse the used
Most importantly, you can always ask around to find someone who had moved recently. Then you can ask them to save moving boxes and other moving leftovers and reuse them. Inform your friends and family about your move. You will be surprised how many moving supplies people have lying around the house. One person’s trash is another one’s treasure, especially during the eco-friendly packing.

Think outside the box
Instead of getting a bunch of packing supplies, try to use the things that you already have. This way your move will be much more eco-friendly. Besides that, it will save you a lot of money. Also, there are a lot of alternatives, just be creative.
- Towels, sheets, and blankets make a great packing material. This is super useful when wrapping dishes or platters. Unlike the newspaper or other chemically treated papers, you won’t need to rewash everything.
- Popping bubble wrap is fun as hell, there is no arguing about that. But they are really not the best choice for eco-friendly packing. Therefore. try a green wrap, paper shred or corrugated bubble wrap instead. Cushioning will be as good as with bubble wrap, but they are made from recycled materials.
- Instead of their plastic predecessors, modern eco-friendly packing peanuts are made from wheat or corn starch. Biodegradable packing peanuts decompose in water and leave no toxic wastes behind.
- Also, you can use your suitcases and bags for packing. Instead of moving them empty, fill them up and kill two birds with one stone.

Don’t throw away, give away
Just as you are in need of packing supplies, someone else will be as well. Giving your boxes and packing supplies to other movers is not just generous, but also eco-friendly. It will make you feel good about yourself. And remember, all of your old things can and should be recycled. You just need to make a research about recycling centers for different supplies and sort your things out. Many recycling companies will arrange the transport themselves. Hence, you are in a win-win situation.
Go green, fresh and clean
Breaking news is that you can recycle basically everything from batteries to old electronics.
- You probably know that batteries contain toxic substances like lead, sulfuric acid, and cadmium. These can leak into nearby waterways and destroy the water. Consider taking these to a local library or post office, which usually have a recycling center for batteries.

- Seems that old microwaves, TVs, and other appliances often contain lead and other harmful substances. Therefore, try to take it to a local Best Buy, where it will be recycled no matter where you bought it from.
- Devices don’t have to wind up in the trash. Electronics and cords can be easily recycled at local resource recovery centers. If they are still usable, you can take them to charitable organizations that appreciate donations for these kinds of goods.
- Also, many resource recovery centers accept open cans of paint, stain, and varnish. So you can safely get rid of those too.
Have you heard of green boxes?
Most noteworthy, packing supplies don’t have to be used only once. We all have our little storage in the garage, storage unit, shed or pantry. And seems it is much better to place them in boxes, instead of just laying around and collecting dust. Well, if you choose to get recycled green boxes, instead of purchasing cardboard ones, you will be able to use them for storing after moving. They are made of recycled plastic, come in several sizes and can be rented or bought. This is a green and sustainable solution for your eco-friendly packing. If you don’t have so many things to store after, you can just rent them. Finally, it can probably save your time since companies who offer this service drop-off and pick-up their bins.
Hire Eco-friendly packing and moving company
This is probably the fastest and easiest solution. When you explore Manhattan moving services, pay attention to green solutions they offer. What should you look for? Eco-friendly moving packing and moving company offer bio-diesel trucks, use moving pads made of 100% recycled cotton and rent packing crates.

Be the change you want to see in the world
Moving takes a lot of time and planning, it’s a fact. But with just a bit effort, you can make important choices. Our actions today will affect our life tomorrow. No effort is too small when it comes to the environment. Every piece of paper, plastic or glass we recycle matters and counts. And yes, this is the road less traveled, but doing the right thing is not always easy. Finally, the feeling eco-friendly packing gives you makes it worth it. Use, reuse and recycle. And then do it all again. Let’ make our future greener.