Moving House the Green eco way to move house

How to move home the green /eco way.

Did you know that nearly two thirds of all household rubbish can be recycled? Moving house is a great time to de-clutter your life, but don't just throw out unwanted items either take them to a charity shop (your rubbish may be someone else's treasure) sell them at car boot sale, online or take them to be recycled. In this section we offer advice moving home as green as possible including recycling, green/eco moving products and services.

Declutter and recycle

Moving house is the ideal time to de-clutter and of course to recycle items. Recycling has never been easier. If we don't recycle, reduce or reuse then most our waste will end up in landfills. Once a landfill site is full, the site is covered over and buried. However we are running out of space for new landfill sites and this is becoming a major problem. Many years ago removal companies used to only use 20 - 30 T chest boxes on a move, today with the increase in personal possessions this can be nearer to and over 100 cartons that will be used to move an average home. Recycling also reduces the amount of materials we use, which in terms reduces transport movement and air pollution and reduces the energy consumption from making new materials. Doing your bit, however small will also make you feel better.

Of course the more you de-clutter, the less you will have to move. Saving you time and money on your removal. It always amazes removal crews just how much they move from one property to another that just ends back under the stairs, in the loft or shed or straight by the bin. Declutter before you move not after you move.

What can I recycle?

More items than you think, use the handy checker on the left

Where is my nearest recycling unit?

When you are moving into a new area it is important you know what recycling schemes are in place and how and where you can take your items. Most councils run doorstep collections for paper, glass, plastics and offer amenity sites that will accept other materials for example wood, shoes, textiles even electrical equipment. To find your local recycling unit just use the handy finder on Recycle Now.

Did you know ...?

Each UK household produces over 1 tonne of rubbish annually, amounting to about 31 million tonnes for the UK each year, equivalent to 31 million rhinos [source: Waste Watch]
Every year, the average dustbin contains enough un-realised energy for 500 baths, 3500 showers or 5000 hours of television [source: www.assure.org]
On average every person in the UK throws away their own body weight in rubbish every 7 weeks [source: Waste Watch]
Every 8 months the UK produces enough waste to fill Lake Windermere (the largest lake in England) [source: Waste Watch]
In less than 2 hours the UK produces enough waste to fill the Albert Hall [source: Waste Watch]
Rubbish collection and keeping our streets clean costs council tax payers about £1.6 billion per year [source: UK Gov]
Nearly 3 billion nappies are thrown away in the UK every year. 90% of these end up in landfill, where they could take hundreds of years to decompose [source: UK Gov]