3 Tips to Live More Eco-Friendly After Your Move

After moving in an eco-friendly way and using Chicago green moving boxes, why not continue the trend? There is no better time than when you first move into a new house or apartment to live a more eco-friendly life.

You don't need to make massive changes to become more environmentally-friendly, either. Little changes to the things you buy and use can make a big difference, especially over time. Here are three tips to help you live a more eco-friendly life.

Conserve Energy at Every Corner

One of the best things you can do is set up practices in your new homes for energy conservation. For example, if you're not in a room, shut off the light. This may seem easy, but it's not easy if you're not in this habit.

In addition to simply turning off lights and other things you're not using, you can invest in eco-friendly devices and appliances. If you're buying a new house or remodeling the kitchen, buy the highest EnergyStar rated appliances to ensure you'll consume less energy. You can also do this with electronics and many other devices within your home.

Switching to LED light bulbs will also make a difference. LEDs last longer than a conventional bulb and they use less energy. This is one of the easiest and fastest ways to help make your home more eco-friendly.

Not only will conserving energy help you to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, but it will also help you to save money. With the right energy conservation practices, you may even see a noticeable difference in your monthly energy bills.

Recycle as much as Possible

Recycling is a great way to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle and many things can be recycled. Just about everything made of plastic can be recycled, along with batteries, paper, cars, and so many other things.

Before you decide you're going to throw something out, consider whether it can be recycled. If you live in a condo or apartment building and they don't offer recycling, find your nearest option for dropping off your recycling. You can also lobby the management staff to provide recycling, which would help to make your entire building more eco-friendly.

Along with recycling, be aware of the products you buy and what they are packaged in. Buying less plastic and less Styrofoam make a difference. When you shop, use canvas bags for your fruits and vegetables and bring reusable grocery bags.

Start Shopping Local

When you buy local, you're living a much more eco-friendly lifestyle than you might imagine. Buying local means the products were likely made and bought much closer to home, which means they didn't leave a carbon footprint to arrive in the store. Farmer's markets, local grocery stores, small businesses and artisans carrying goods they made themselves are all good options.

In addition, when you shop local, you'll be supporting the local economy.

These three tips are just the start of becoming more eco-friendly. There are several other small changes you can make in your new home to ensure you're living the most eco-friendly life possible. It started with your eco-friendly move with Chicago Green Boxes and now it can continue with your new home.

5 Tips for Labeling Your Moving Boxes

Moving is one of the most disorganized times in anybody's life. The funny thing, it's one of the times you really need to be organized. For most people, however, this type of transitional period comes with disorganizing.

You don't have to have a disorganized moving day. With the right (green) boxes, the right packing supplies, and plenty of time to work, you can get ready to move in an organized way. One of the keys to moving organization is labeling your moving boxes. Here are five tips to help you label your moving boxes properly.

Create a System

Start by creating your labeling system. Choose a set of quality markers in different colors, specifically bright colors, if possible. Don't use an ordinary pen or something super simple when you can use a much better set of markers. Place tape over the box and write on the tape directly to not ruin the boxes!

Along with markers, you want colored tape and labels to make your life easier. You can use colored tape to help match the boxes and make them easier to spot. In addition, printable moving box labels can be used to make labeling each box easier. You can get labels for fragile boxes and more.

Color Codes Work

Assign a color to each room of the house. For example, you can use the blue marker for the MASTER BEDROOM and the red marker for the KITCHEN. Match your colored tape to the color of the marker and you'll be able to easily spot which box goes with which room when you arrive at your new home.

While you may know the color system, you need to let your movers in on the secret, too. Tape a piece of paper to the doors of your new home matching the color assigned to that room. This, along with communicating to your movers will make it really easy to deliver the boxes into the right rooms in your new home.

Create and Label an "Open First Box"

An open first box should have everything you need for the first night or two in your new home. This box should be labeled in big, bold letters as the OPEN FIRST BOX. It should be very easy to spot and if you need more than one don't be afraid to pack a couple of open first boxes. It's best if you pack these last so they are easy to get to when you arrive and they come out of the truck first.

Use Fragile on Anything Breakable

Labeling a box as fragile tells the person handling it to be careful. Don't just slap one sticker saying fragile on the top. Label the box as fragile on every single side to ensure there is no way the movers or yourself will miss the message.

Label Each Box as Soon as it's Packed

There is no better time than right after you put in the last item to label your box. If you wait, you will likely forget what's in it. Instead, you can label the box before you start packing it with the assigned color and room. Then, you can write down each item on the side of the box, as you put it in the box.

With these five tips for labeling your green moving boxes, you will be far more organized for your move. Organization during a move will help to keep the stress down and make the experience much easier.

How to Keep Your Chicago Move Eco-Friendly Beyond the Boxes

When it's time to move, you want to make sure you do it in the most eco-friendly way possible. Choosing eco-friendly boxes for moving is a start, but there are many things you can do, outside of boxes to make your move friendly for the environment. Here are a few of the ways you can make your move eco-friendly.

Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Using harmful chemicals is not a good idea. These chemicals are not good for you or whatever you're cleaning. Instead, choose eco-friendly cleaning products to leave your current home clean for the next owner and to clean your new home.

You can also use these products to clean things you need to pack. With the right eco-friendly products, you can clean everything from windows to countertops to furniture to floors.

Reuse Newspapers

Newspapers are great as a packing supply and it will save you money, along with saving the environment. If you have a stack of newspapers sitting around, use them for packing items. This is a great way to reuse something for another purpose and will keep you from buying plastic packing bubbles or Styrofoam peanuts, which are not good for the environment.

If you prefer to keep your items free of the ink from the newspaper, you can purchase packing paper made from recycled materials. Then, when you're done with it, it can be recycled again.

Hire an Efficient Moving Company

The right Chicago moving company won't waste space, gas or any other resources. They will recommend the right size truck to ensure you don't have to make multiple trips to get all your things moved. Make sure you choose a moving company using practices to help ensure the eco-footprint they leave is smaller.

Donate Anything You Don't Want

Moving is a great time to downsize your things. When you move, you can go through everything you own and get rid of things. Instead of throwing things out, however, donate them. You never know what you have that you consider junk that could be someone else's treasure.

Use Proper Planning

While planning your move may not seem like it's an eco-friendly moving practice it is. When you have a great plan, you have the ability to move without making multiple drives to different places, which uses up gas. You will also know exactly where and how to recycle any moving materials you use.

Put together a good plan from the minute you know you're going to move. This will help you to keep your eco-friendly practices in place because you've planned for them.

Along with all of these eco-friendly tips, you want to make sure you rent reusable plastic moving boxes. This is the most eco-friendly way to go as cardboard, while it can be recycled, it cannot really be reused after a move. Rent the right green moving boxes and you'll have completed your eco-friendly move in the best possible way without causing any more harm than absolutely necessary.