Moving Day!

Are you moving or recently moved? Do you know someone that is moving? If you live in Canada, you know that the designated moving day is right around the corner. As someone who recently moved, I'd like to offer some sustainable tips based on my experience. Also, lots of these tips can be used when you have your own place and just want to make some small sustainable changes.

Step 1 - Decluttering

Once you know your move-in date, you will likely want to start packing ASAP. However, before you can really start packing, the best thing you can do is declutter. This definitely can be done at the same time as packing, but should be prioritized. You don't want to bring things you don't need or don't like into your new space.

Once you've separated out all the things you don't need anymore, you must figure out what you want to do with them. Are they worth something? If so, maybe you can post the items online and try to sell them! This definitely applies to furniture. Why not make some money if you can? If it ends up being that you can't sell the furniture, then you could donate them to your closest eco-center or simply try leaving it outside (someone may want it!). In Montreal, the first Monday of each month is the designated day for outside pickup of furniture.

If the items seem worthless to sell - ask yourself something. Is this item broken beyond belief? Normally, the answer should be no. In that case, you can give these items a second life by locating the closest donation center to drop off your stuff (ideally before you move). In my case, everything was closed due to COVID-19, so we had to bring all our designated donation items to our new place and keep them until we were able to bring them in.

Step 2 - Packing

Before you begin to pack, you must get the appropriate materials like cardboard boxes! Instead of purchasing new ones, try to go to your local grocery store or hardware store (or almost any store!) and ask for some of their boxes. They were going to recycle them anyways, so why not reuse them first!

Besides boxes, remember that school bags or totes are a key tool you can use to pack your stuff. I personally filled up some school bags with items like shoes, books, accessories, decoration, etc. Anything that is awkward to fit into a box, could be placed into a school bag.

Similarly, you can use suitcases. I filled up my suitcase with all the books from my bookshelf. This made it super easy to transport as I could roll the suitcase or lift it with ease instead of having a bunch of heavy boxes. You can also simply put your clothes in the suitcases.

I had two tall boxes that I filled with clothes - I left all my clothes on their hangers so that I could easily place them into my new closet. For the clothes in my drawers, I actually just transported the drawers separately with everything left in them to minimize boxes used and facilitate unpacking.

Large items can simply be placed in a car or moving van. There's no reason to put everything in a box if you don't have to! Also, if you're able to move over a longer period of time, try packing boxes, unpacking in the new place and then reusing again. I suggest using the first boxes for items in the bathroom and kitchen as they are the quickest to unpack.

Step 3 - Cleaning

Once you arrive at your new place for the first time, you'll likely have a LOT of cleaning to do! Cleaning tools should be the first box you bring with you, especially if you have access to your new place before the move-in date. I highly recommend the following EASY switches:

• Choose cleaning products that have eco-friendly characteristics:
• Attitude products are a great choice. They have soo many options (floors, bathroom, all-purpose, dish soap, etc.) and don't have all the harsh toxins and chemicals that most average brands have.
• Dish soap or laundry detergent that has the word "biodegradable" is a major upgrade from the regular version as it is less harmful.
• Anything that has less chemicals/toxins and instead green or ecofriendly alternatives
• Choose the right tools to clean with:
• Buy reusable sponges (preferably compostable ones), small hand towels (can find them at pharmacies), reusable "paper" towels (Like this one!), etc. Anything that you can reuse and wash in the washing machine is a much better alternative to single-use paper towels or sponges.
• If you still want to buy paper towels, please choose ones that are made from recycled materials or bamboo. I still buy them occassionally to clean up after my cat's hairballs.
  
• Get yourself a wooden mop or broom instead of a plastic one (if you don't have one already). Plastic is never a good option.
  

Once you make these purchases, you're ready to start scrubbing and cleaning your new place!

Step 4 - Furniture

Next, you will want to furnish your new place. First, if you can, try to bring as much furniture as you can from your old place. There will always be a few things that you need to buy, or maybe you need to start completely fresh. I recommend buying new as a last resort and instead using tools like Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji to get your goods. Not only is this a cheaper alternative, but you're reusing things which is much better for the environment than buying new.

If you still decide to buy new, look for eco-friendly alternatives such as bamboo. You can get a desk, a book shelf or even a kitchen table made from this plant which is a great upgrade. They have mattresses made from bamboo fibers! You could even get a bamboo mattress cover to match.

Step 5 - Common Household Items Replacements

My favourite part about moving was having the ability to purchase my own household items. If you didn't already know - I am obsessed with promoting bamboo because it's such a sustainable source. This means buying bamboo versions of anything that exists. Some bathroom examples are: bamboo toothbrush holder and toothbrushes, soap dispenser, soap holder and even a toilet seat!

In the kitchen I have a bamboo cutting board and some utensils such as a spatula and a large spoon for cooking. You can easily get bamboo bowls, serving trays, or even coffee cups. I purchased organic cotton oven mitts and tea towels which means they are sourced more sustainably with less chemicals. I even got a spice rack which came stocked with glass jars and spices that I will eventually refill as I finish them.

Lastly, for the bedroom, besides the bamboo mattress cover, you can also get sheets made with bamboo fibers or even an organic cotton duvet cover. There are so many sustainable alternatives on the market!

Overall, my moving experience didn't go super smoothly (who's does?) as we couldn't have any help from friends or family since the virus was in it's peak, and our movers cancelled right before showing up. But in the end, everything worked out and I'm really happy to be in my own space. I hope yours goes well whenever you decide to move and if ever you have any questions, feel free to send me a message (insta: @biancaisgreen) or comment below.

By: Bianca Deltorto-Russell