Whether moving across town or across the country, the relocation process has long been a milestone associated with excess: packing peanuts in single-use cardboard boxes, gallons upon gallons of gas used to fuel huge moving trucks, and lots of emphasis on the value of material things. Thanks to a few enterprising minds, though, moving is becoming an increasingly eco-friendly event against all odds.  

Say Goodbye to Boxes

While it's wise to invest in lightly-used cardboard boxes, giving them a second chance to fulfill their objective, it's even wiser to rent plastic bins from companies like EZ Bins and Rent-a-Crate. For a sense of scale: while a cardboard box typically lasts through up to four moves, a plastic bin can get the job done 500 times before retiring.

Pass on the Paperwork

In the increasingly paperless society in which we live, a smart company called Moveline takes the guesswork out of the inventory process and handles the quote process entirely on its clients' behalf.  Eliminating the need for moving companies to drive out to customers' homes and fill out checklists of items to be moved, Moveline handles the entire process digitally, through video chats and specially-assigned "Move Captains" who keep the process running smoothly. No need for wasted fuel, paper, time and energy with a company like this around. The best part: its services are free.

Eliminate the Excess

No shortage of resources exist to keep you from tossing out stuff you don't need as you move from one home to another: ShredX (a service of Rent-a-Crate) can privately shred and recycle your old documents and E-Stewards can redirect your used computer equipment away from the landfill. Meanwhile, Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program recycles those old sneakers into rubber running tracks and playground surfaces, and sites like Bib+Tuck, Twice and Thred-Up offer cash-back, trade and donation programs to help you pare down your closet.

image credit: thumbtack.com