We just moved. New address, new space, a whole lot of boxes, and somewhere in the middle of all of it, a humbling realization: moving generates a lot of stuff. Even when you're trying to be thoughtful about it.
It got us thinking. If a business that literally exists to reduce waste can end up surrounded by packing materials and half-empty bottles with nowhere to go, imagine what a typical move looks like. So we figured we'd share what worked well for us, because a new address is actually one of the best opportunities you'll ever have to reset your habits along with your zip code.
Before You Pack a Single Box
Declutter with intention. Going through everything anyway means this is the moment to donate, gift, or sell what you don't need. Less to move = less waste, less effort, and less stuff crowding your new place.
Use up what you have. Don't toss half-empty cleaning products just because you're moving. Bring them, finish them, then refill when you're ready.
Pack with what you've already got. Towels, blankets, and clothing are surprisingly great padding for fragile items. Your linens are going in a box anyway, might as well put them to work.
Smarter Packing
Borrow boxes instead of buying new ones. Buy Nothing groups, local Facebook listings, and community apps are full of people trying to offload perfectly good moving boxes. Free, easy, and way less wasteful.
Skip the traditional packing peanuts. If you do need them, look for the starch-based kind that dissolve in water, no guilt, no landfill. Otherwise, newspaper, old magazines, and fabric scraps protect just as well and cost you nothing.
Pass your boxes on when you're done. Someone near you is moving next month. Let the boxes keep going.
The Clean Slate Opportunity
Here's the part we love most about a move: you get to be intentional about what comes with you. That includes what lives under your sink.
Starting fresh in a new space is the perfect time to swap in cleaner, plant-based products that are gentler on your home, your air, and everyone living in it. When you stock your kitchen and bathroom with refillables from the beginning, the cycle of single-use plastic never really gets a foothold.
A plant-based all-purpose cleaner handles most of what life will throw at your new place. A streak-free glass cleaner makes those windows sparkle on day one. And refillable bottles that look good on your shelf mean you're set up for the long haul.
A Fresh Start Is a Fresh Start
You don't have to overhaul everything at once. Pick one swap, get settled, and go from there. Moving is already a reset in every other way, so why not let it be a green one too?
We're cheering you on from our new home to yours.
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