Moving can be a big hassle. Packing up your possessions and carting them to a new home, whether it’s across the street or across the country, is a challenge. And then there’s all those empty boxes.
Here’s a packing tip for moving: Plastics can help. Whether you’re moving yourself or bringing in the professionals, durable plastic crates can make the moving process a bit easier—and a lot greener.
Packing Tip for Moving #1: Do It Yourself with Plastic Boxes
Instead of scrounging cardboard boxes, you do-it-yourselfers now can ask companies such as Rent a Green Box to deliver durable, reusable crates made of recycled plastic right to your home (on their truck fleet powered by bio-fuels). Once you’ve unpacked in your new home, the company will pick up the plastic crates so they can be reused again. And again.
The company claims that 500 pounds of plastic are diverted from landfills for every 100 crates rented, along with more than 350 pounds of packing and moving waste.
Packing Tip for Moving #2: Hire an Expert Who Uses Plastic Crates
If you would rather hire professional movers, companies such as Rent-A-Crate can arrange door-to-door moving service using plastic crates. According to the company, its plastic crates leave a lighter footprint on the Earth than traditional cardboard boxes. They:
- Require 39 percent less energy to produce;
- Create 95 percent less solid waste;
- Have an average lifespan of 17 years; and
- Generate 29 percent less greenhouse gas emissions.
And when they’re worn out? The old crates can be recycled into new crates with the addition of a little new plastic.
Both companies claim that using their reusable plastic crates can save up to 50 percent on your move. So you can move greener and save green.
