Zero waste moving (closer to Near-o waste) is top of mind for us at the District as we just moved our office from Brownsburg to Danville moving tons of “stuff” (educational manipulatives, displays, furniture, etc).
Here are some tips we can share with those of you who are on the move and don’t want to make a lot of trash.
- Sort everything as you begin packing into three categories, “keep”, “donate”, and “toss” (yes, some things still have to be thrown away).
- Make a plan for the items you will donate. Goodwill is a good place for most things. And, you might be able to share your abundance with others in need, too. Here are our favorite donation sites:
Habitat for Humanity ReStore – for furniture, lamps, fixtures
Half Price Books – books, games, audiobooks, DVDs
Consignment shops – clothing
- Check your “toss” items to make sure they are not Household Hazardous Waste. Look for a “Caution”, “Warning”, “Danger”, or “Poison” label. If you see these labels, you need to bring those items to our next Tox-Away Day. Check our website for details. HendricksSolidWaste.com
- Pack items in reused boxes (ask local retailers) or storage totes (can be used again after the move). In our case, we were able to use lots of recycling bins and worm bins. There is also this nifty service bin-it.com
- Instead of using packing peanuts for breakables, consider using towels, blankets, and even stuffed animals to cushion your fragile things.
Recycle, recycle, recycle! Make sure that when you set up your trash service, you also set up curbside recycling service. Break down boxes, smooth out newspapers, and make sure that one of the first things out of the truck at your new home is a recycle bin. Place it right next to the trash can so that it is very clear what goes where as you unpack
