Moving soon? Try these tips to reduce waste
Moving can create a lot of waste. Boxes, packing supplies and items you no longer want can add up. If you’re moving soon, the following tips can help you waste less.
Donate items you no longer want
Try to find a new home for furniture, knickknacks and other items you don’t want to bring to your new home. Check with friends, family and your local Buy Nothing group to see if you can find a new home for that vintage desk or the plant that won’t stop growing.
You can also donate items (not household hazardous waste), that are in good condition to a local thrift store. Before donating, make sure what you are donating is something that someone else might want. A good rule of thumb? If you wouldn’t give it to a family member, it might not be a good item to donate.
Know how to dispose of household hazardous waste
As you pack up, you might come across expired or unwanted household hazardous waste. If a container has the words “caution”, “danger” or “poison” on the label and still has product inside, it is considered hazardous and does not belong in the trash. Think: bathroom and kitchen cleaners, paint, pesticides and insecticides and batteries. You can bring these items and more to a household hazardous waste collection site for free.
Use what you already have
Before buying moving boxes and packing supplies, use items you already have. Towels, sheets, clothes and other soft materials can be used to wrap breakable items. You can also fill bags, suitcases and totes with items before buying cardboard boxes.
Set up your new home for success
Congratulations on the move! Once you are settled in your new home, learn about the recycling services available to you. Ramsey County offers the following free drop-off services to residents: electronics recycling, household hazardous waste, yard waste, medicine collection and food scraps.
This article is featured in Green Ramsey, an environmental health newsletter from Ramsey County.
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