If you moving home you know how stressful it can be and one of the last things you may be thinking about is how to make it an eco-friendly move, but being eco-friendly has many advantages. Let's have a look at how to carry out an eco-friendly house move and the benefits of this.

Declutter

Before you move home don't forget to declutter. Why? Well many companies charge based on the amount of possessions and the number of van trips (and thus petrol used). Rather than chucking it out, save it for going to landfill by selling secondhand via eBay, Facebook marketplace and other such sites, giving to friends and charities and local good causes like schools and playgroups. You will then be moving less possessions to your new home saving you van trips, money and CO2. Don't forget to recycle white goods too if you can no longer use them.

Donate food

When you are cleaning out the cupboards and even the fridge freezer and come across food you don't want to take with you, think about donating it. You could give any food you don't want to family and friends, the local food bank or donate it through the Oli app. With over 4.5 million tonnes of food every year going to waste and producing harmful gasses, anything is better than throwing it away and you will be doing a good deed too.

Choose packing material wisely

Packing materials often end in landfill so try and minimise this. Ask around in local community groups to see if anyone has any spare boxes for packing, consider the use of old newspapers, towels, tea towels and bed linen for packing fragile items, or buy eco-friendly packing materials like biodegradable bubble wrap. You can even rent plastic boxes if you have to that can be used again. For more packing tips check out my blog post here. 

Use eco-friendly cleaning materials

When leaving your old home and preparing the house for the new occupants, use eco-friendly cleaning materials to prevent harmful chemicals from going into the environment. Brands like Method and Ecover produce cleaning products that are effective but kind to the world.  Even household products like vinegar can be good for cleaning glass, just be careful to wash it off properly and not let it get onto metal as it can corrode. 

Check out eco-friendly moving companies

Many strides have been made in recent years and moving companies are now starting to take notice of the value of providing an eco-friendly service. The main point of these companies is that they providing vans that are electric and are charged with renewable energy. They may also use biodegradable packing materials. If a moving company makes a point of saying they are eco-friendly it's worth investigating further to find out their environmental credentials. 

Upcycle in your new home

Rather than buy new consider upcycling your furniture in your new home. You can recover or reupholster your own sofa, paint your furniture, and your new kitchen cabinets at a fraction of the cost of buying new. You also get the satisfaction of creating a new look too with minimal cost. You could also check out charity shops and other places selling second-hand homeware and Freecycle too, a site that gives items away, to save you money.

As you can see you easily can carry out an eco-friendly house move, and with a little thought, it doesn't have to be a stressful experience and can also save you money.  Click here for more tips on how to move and for house moving quotes. Let me know, have you ever thought about moving home? Did you use any of these tips?

*Collaborative post