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Health & Fitness

Five Ways to Make Your Move Green

It’s moving season and Earth Day, two occasions you probably never put together. However, they compliment each other quite nicely, saving you moving costs and impact on the environment.

When you hear the term “green moving,” it might invoke images of packing your things in grass and bamboo baskets, or perhaps a VW van with a psychedelic paint job comes to mind?  Today, green moving means being conscientious of the environment and using methods that are not harmful to the earth. Fortunately, there are steps and now moving companies that help you move with the smallest carbon footprint possible without incurring any additional costs. In fact, moving green can actually be less expensive. Sometimes, it is actually easy being green.

Top 5 Reasons to Move Green:

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Reason #1 Breathe Easier: You do like to breathe, don’t you? Well, I know I do.

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Trucks that use diesel fuel emit harmful toxins into our air and are responsible for the majority of cancer risk from outdoor air pollutants. Diesel particulate matter also contributes to more than 2,000 premature deaths, asthma attacks, and other respiratory problems each year. These problems are exacerbated when large moving vehicles are left idling.

 

The Green Moving Solution: Green moving companies run their trucks on biodiesel fuel which is a cleaner burning fuel made from natural renewable sources such as vegetable oils. Moving trucks with battery-operated lift gates insure that there is no need to leave the trucks idling at your curb while the move is taking place. Also, a government regulated weigh station installed and monitored at the moving company’s headquarters saves unnecessary and costly fuel expenditures to off-site weigh stations.

 

Reason #2 Less Waste – Your mother will be so proud and so will Mother Nature.

 

Moving creates a lot of waste that contribute to our landfills. When you think moving, what comes to mind first? Boxes, boxes and more boxes…

 

The Green Moving Solution: From boxes to bubble wrap, green movers will only use 100% recyclable materials to keep our neighborhoods cleaner and greener. Green movers will also give you tips on how to pack greener such as using real popcorn to pack fragile items. Save money by asking moving companies for used boxes made of recyclable materials. Some green moving companies will even give you a refund for returning your boxes at the end of your move. Cha-ching!

 

Reason #3 Save Land – Why pave paradise?

 

Old fashion self-storage facilities with inefficient garage type self-storage facilities employ poor land use practices.

 

The Green Moving Solution:  Green moving companies have access to green storage. Green storage is warehouse based and not long paved rows of self-storage “garages.” Your belongings are stored inside the warehouse in recyclable and reusable wooden vaults. Not only is this type of storage greener for the environment, it is greener for your wallet. You only pay for the space you actually need!

 

Reason #4 Give Back - Moving is the time when we dispose of the most stuff.

 

Because you are moving, finally, the garage and closets actually get cleaned out (hurray!). Now is the time to get rid of what you don’t really need: the eight track tape player, the giant moose head, and the 30 pounds of left over Halloween candy. But, don’t just toss them out.

 

The Green Solution: You know the drill: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Leading green movers know it too! They have vetted alliances with charities and domestic e-waste recyclers so your old computers, microwaves, etc. are not shipped off to unregulated third world environmental disaster dumping grounds, but instead are recycled in facilities that follow U.S. environmental regulations.  Eco-friendly movers make the disposal process green by connecting you with charities who can really make use of all those old clothes and books, food banks that can use those Costco-sized cans of tuna, and recyclers that will dispose of your unwanted items in an eco-friendly way. Come on, you know your new place will thank you for it.

 

Reason #5 Green Conscious means Customer Conscious

 

Many companies think of moving as a one time transaction. They don’t care if they ever see you or your neighbors again. Yikes, how do you think they will treat you and your stuff?

 

The Green Solution: When using a moving company that takes the extra steps to be more environmentally-friendly, you are also gaining movers that go the extra mile in providing top-of-the-line client service. Chances are if they care about the earth, they care about the folks that inhabit it too. They care about lasting relationships. Go ahead: hug your green mover.

 

So, use your “green” to influence and encourage green habits by hiring companies that use environmental-friendly practices in their offices and warehouses too. Green moving companies’ eco-awareness usually radiates throughout the entire organization, the staff recycles, offices and warehouse are designed to be energy efficient, and because they care about their entire environment they practice giving back to the community. It’s a great big green win – win! 

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