Eco-Friendly International Moving

Feb 07. 2022

As the issues of sustainability and eco-friendly practices loom ever larger, the importance of us all making changes to the way we live becomes more urgent. Even the process of moving and particularly international moves, need to made as ‘green’ as possible.

Across the globe, many countries are making strides in this area. For example, Samso, an island in Denmark relies entirely on renewable energy, which make it one of the few places in the world that has currently achieved this. Denmark as a whole promotes cycling as a green mode of transport and is particularly focussed on waste recycling and water management. Switzerland has not sent rubbish to landfill since 2000. Whatever is not recycled is incinerated to generate energy. For the last few years, any new buildings in commercial zones in France are required, by law, to be partially covered by either plants or solar panels. Paris in particular is dedicated to making the city increasingly bike-friendly.

Here we take a look at tips on how to make your own international move as eco-friendly as possible.

The international moving process:

Be careful with your unwanted items. Every house move brings with it the opportunity to have a sort through, de-clutter and a pair-down prior to moving into new premises. When it comes to deciding what you want to keep and what you don’t, avoid sending unwanted possessions to landfill. If you start sorting through your items early enough, you can separate them into items which can be sold and items which can be donated to local charity shops or community organisations. You may also find that even the possessions that don’t fit into either of these groups can be re-cycled for other purposes.

Boxing clever. When it comes to packing up your possession, it is difficult to avoid using cardboard boxes, but if you speak to your international removals company, they should be using professional grade packing cartons which are sturdy enough to be used more than once. Therefore they should be able to offer you second hand boxes as a way of ensuring maximum use is made out of each carton before disposal.

Old newspapers and magazines make for a more ecologically friendly way of packing, rather than wrapping paper. Just be mindful that sometimes the print can transfer, so you need to be selective about what you wrap in this.

Importantly, choose an international removals company who have a real awareness of, and dedication to reducing their carbon foot-print. Look for a removals company that has committed to reducing their emissions and are advancing ways of doing this. Research removal companies that have made commitments in this area and speak to their surveyors about this when they carry out a pre-move survey for your international move.

One you’ve arrived at your new home and un-packed, consider donating any of the boxes and packing materials that you no longer need. There maybe someone amongst your neighbours who are moving or local community associations that may need them for storage.