3 Tips for a Green Move
This April 22 we can observe Earth Day – which you’d think would be a bigger deal, Earth being where we live and all.
Luckily, we can use this day to think a little more about this awesome rock spinning around in space with a bunch of stuff all over it. The impact we have on Earth is getting worse by the day, and it’s not going to be easy to stop the damage people have done so far. But you can do your part – and we’re here to help in the form of a short list of ways that you can keep your own move guilt-free.
Reduce
If you’re at all familiar with the concept of clearing out a home, whether for an estate or a move or just because Hoarders was on and you got really inspired, then you know that junk is intimidating. All the little packrat parts of your brain compartmentalize each little thing in the pile with emotional memories and the next thing you know, you’re packing an extra half a truck because you’re sure that one day you’ll have the perfect place for those extra cushions with the nice fabric.
Junk is mean, in its own way. It bullies you around, and you have to stand up for yourself. Get it gone. Yard sales. Flea markets. Freecyling networks. 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. Craigslist. Yelling out your window, “I’ve got junk for sale!” and brandishing an antique lamp is an option, but most people won’t recommend it.
Reuse
Can you see the pattern here? Everything you have should be a multi-tasker. Why own four appliances when you could own one? Why pack with foam when you could use old clothes you can donate anywhere?
While we’re on the subject, why buy dishrags? Rags are defined as pieces of old cloth, torn from something larger. If you can explain why your rags have to be perfect squares purchased from a store, the question remains why you’re drying your own dishes living in such luxury.
Recycle
This isn’t as simple as a couple of bins in your garage that go to the curb once a week. It’s a lifestyle thing. You’re going into a new home and you have a chance for a new life. Why not use that clean slate to… well, stay clean? You’re recycling yourself, transforming what was old into something new.
Investigating your new neighborhood’s transit service might mean less spent on parking at the end of the month. Setting up a system for easy recycling of different materials early on (as in, right away while you unpack) is good – it’s a lot easier to maintain a habit than it is to form one.
Who knows? Maybe if Earth Day was a federal holiday, we’d think about the environment a little more. Maybe if we used that day to go hiking, or just sit in a park, we’d feel the need to do something more than toss a quarter in a jar at a coffee shop. But you can start just by taking initiative now.
