Traditional Packing Impact

How do traditional moving practices impact our planet? How are PLASTIC totes the solution? Why should we care?

So, what are the "Traditional Moving Practices" that are, in one way or another, problematic?

Here a few:

Purchasing and discarding cardboard boxes,
Using single use tape,
Packing everything you own (whether or not you need it),
Throwing purged items away that can be donated,
Wrapping furniture in single use plastic
Throwing away food you have't eaten eat,
Etc. I'm sure you can think of many more.

Now you see why moving can be problematic. But plastic isn't good for the planet either! Well the argument about paper vs. plastic is simple and complicated. Checkout the EcoBahn article to understand more. However, for moving supplies the argument is simple: Single use items and general waste are high contributors to land fills. Therefore, cutting out single use supplies will drastically decrease the footprint on the planet. Our totes are reused hundreds of times verses 2-3 times for cardboard. At the end of life, the totes are then recycled to make our new totes.

If we compare the Resources we find:

To produce 1 ton of cardboard boxes it takes 17 trees + gallons of oil + 250 of CO2 emissions + 7,000 gallons of water + 5,000 kilowatts of energy (numbers are approximate). Think about the impact when the U.S. produces about 100 BILLION boxes of paper a year. If these boxes are recycled it takes 25% less energy
To produce 1 ton

To produce 1 ton of plastic

takes plastic 65% to 88% less energy than making it from new materials.

Make the comparison more clear It takes approximately 90% more energy to recycle 1kg (2 lb) of paper than 1kg (2 lb) of plastic http://www.facts-about-recycling.com/paper.html
Trees preserve the planet’s oxygen levels, effectively reducing carbon monoxide and assist in maintaining the rain formation cycle

Let's not forget that boxes are not the only issue when it comes to moving impacts.

Single Use plastic Tape is eliminated from the equation when using out attached lid totes.
Our metal and linen garment racks and covers reduce the need to fill plastic bags or cardboard boxes with clothes. They also offer better protection and are easier to transport.
Single use plastic wrap from furniture is replaced by reusable furniture covers.
And our TV cases cause a lot less TVs being wasted because of damage while moving

Along with moving supplies there are traditional behavioral activities that impact the planet in the moving process. (1) Not purging your space will cause movers to pack a heavier load than necessary, making vehicles push out more emissions to carry the load. (2) If a mover does purge their personal items, often times they just throw the items away; creating more waste for the landfill. This can easily be solved by selling or donating items you dont want or need anymore. Items donated to goodwill can be a tax write off! (3) Felling the need to purchase supplies instead of using what you already have first. Many of us have amazon boxes, containers, suitcases, towels or newspaper to wrap dishes, and more. We highly encourage our customers to always uses what they have before renting our supplies.

OK Good job moving company! You are doing your part, but why should I care? Think about it this way, do you care about saving money? do you care about making money? do-you care about an easy transition into a new home? Do you care about your lineage having a world to live in with clean air and water? Being conscious of your impact on the planet gives you the opportunity to:

- Save money by using what you have and renting totes at a cheaper rate than buying new cardboard.
- Make money by selling or donating the items you no longer need. Stop throwing away money!
- Move easier and more efficiently than before! Everyone likes easy.
- And puts this world one step closer to reducing its GHG footprint.