Top tips for a sustainable house move

Moving house is an exciting time. It is a great opportunity to declutter, deciding what will and won’t come with you to your new home. It is also a perfect time to sort things into what you want to keep, sell, donate or recycle! 

We’re all about making sure we recycle and reuse materials. With August being the most popular month for moving, we’ve prepared our top packing tips to help you have a more eco-friendly house move.

1. Reuse cardboard boxes – Try not to buy new boxes that you may not use again. Your local grocery shop may have spares you can use; platforms such as Freecycle, Olio, Facebook Marketplace or other neighbourhood community groups and apps are also a good place to look. Otherwise try searching for ‘rent packing boxes near me’.

2. Avoid bubble wrap – Popping bubble wrap is fun for sure, but reducing the amount of plastic we use makes a huge difference to the environment. When packing fragile items, ask around to see if anyone you know has bubble wrap they no longer need, or try wrapping them in eco-friendly packing materials such as tea towels or newspaper.

3. Reduce journeys – Making as few trips as possible between your old and new home is great news for the planet! Decluttering before you move will help with this, making more space for your essentials and meaning fewer trips.

4. Reduce food waste – Don’t waste the food that you have in your freezer or cupboards that you think you can’t take with you. BBC Good Food and Tesco have lots of useful tips online about what to do with leftovers. Or you can donate leftover food to local food banks or share with neighbours and local businesses on the app Olio.

5. Make a smart move – If you need help with your move, try choosing an environmentally-friendly and green removal company. Have a look at their website for any green credentials like whether they are carbon neutral, use electrical vehicles and recycled packaging.

6. Donate, sell or recycle your electricals – Packing up your home is the ideal time to sort through all your old, unwanted and broken electricals. Why not divide them into 3 piles: Donate for electricals that are still in good working condition; Sell for those that can be sold online or at a car boot sale; and Recycle for those that are broken and unrepairable. Anything with a plug, battery or cable should always be recycled, including kettles, toasters, electric toothbrushes, drills and TV remotes. Everyday electricals are full of precious materials that can be turned into anything from children’s playgrounds to lifesaving equipment.. 

To find your nearest recycling point and to start recycling your electricals check out our postcode locator.