The environmental impacts of moving to a new house are rarely discussed. But with the average UK home move creating around 16.8kg of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to keeping a light bulb on continuously for 53.85 days, it is something we must address.
From efficient preparation to a smooth operation on moving day that keeps the environment in mind, we have some useful ideas for a planet-friendly process.
1. Have a sort out before you move
In the build-up to your move, you need to evaluate what you need to take with you, and what you can do without. There is no point in moving stuff that you longer want to keep. This will save on essential space on moving day and save both unnecessary emissions and money. There are many ways you can rehome unused items; Depop is great for clothes and eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree etc. are perfect for making sure your old things don’t go to waste!
2. Utilise address change services.
In the UK alone, distribution of products and household travel account for 20% of emissions. Notifying your providers lessens the environmental impact of your move. Zero Waste Europe reports that 10 million tonnes of paper will be saved if Europe puts an end to unsolicited mail. By using Monadd's address change services you are saving 40kg of paper every year when you go junk-free!
3. Choose an eco-friendly transport option.
When it comes to moving day, you need to choose a removal service that has the planet in mind. Shift is not only there to make the process easier for you, working around your schedule. You can book online with ease and have the option of vehicles in all shapes and sizes, which saves on money and emissions. Shift is the most environmentally friendly moving service in the UK. Shift uses clever tech to work out which existing delivery vans have space and which direction they are heading. This means no extra vehicles are being added to the road, saving 101,267 miles in 2020 and saving your money by reducing mileage per item.
4. Use alternatives to packing boxes.
The government department responsible for the environment says that paper and cardboard packaging waste going to landfills or destroyed rose drastically by 110% between 2013 and 2016. There are many ways you can reduce environmental impact during the packing process that may not have initially sprung to mind. Instead of buying new plastic boxes to package your things, contain as much as you can in your furniture – your drawers, wardrobe etc. There are some great websites such as Freecycle where you can source spare cardboard packing boxes, or you can even head to your local supermarket which will have plenty of cardboard boxes. For smaller items and breakables, use old clothes to wrap them or old newspapers.
5. Make your new home green.
When you move house you want to spend your time enjoying your new home right? There are many quick and affordable ways you can make your new home green! Make sure to install LED light bulbs when you move in and on a basic level, turn off the lights when you leave a room. Unplugging unused appliances and making sure that you aren’t losing heat through air cracks are also examples of some super simple ways to give back to the planet.
