Storing things the Environmentally Friendly way

When it comes to storage and having to move out, the first thing to come to most people’s minds is to remember to buy as MANY cardboard boxes from the storage company as possible! More boxes equals more places to stash your stuff right? Well as good an idea as this is, it’s not the most environmentally friendly idea. So we’ve got a few tips here to help you reduce, reuse and recycle your stuff and perhaps help you save a pretty penny or 2 while we’re at it!

·         Know what you have and where you’ve put it
The best way to reduce our carbon footprint is to conserve natural resources which are fast being depleted from Earth at the rate we are using things. Also because you’re sending some things into almost semi-permanent storage, it becomes so easy to forget that you had this lamp shade or that coloured bedsheets that you just so happened to have put away.

So if you’re getting ready to pack your items into storage, take a little time out to take note what’s going into the boxes and the containers so that you can keep track of what you already own. When you see that you already have the same item somewhere around, the spendthrift and eco-warrior in all of us will want to save yourself the money and retrieve the item instead of heading to the stores to buy the same thing the second time around. And thus, we will save the world!

·         Utilise Reusable Storage Containers
This is a fantastic idea especially if you foresee your items going into storage for a long period of time. Over time, containers that decompose may not be the best solution, because eventually humidity and wear and tear will affect the storage container’s ability to lift and protect your items within. Reusable containers that are not plastic but are biodegradable are obviously one of the options here.

Even when you’re ready to throw away or use some of these items, the boxes can always be repurposed to house other bric-a-brac lying around the house.

We’re even aware of some companies offering purchase-hire options for a quick fix when you need boxes to keep your items in while you’re moving to somewhere else and won’t need your things in storage for too long.

·         Storing your Perishables the First in, First Out way

Put newer items at the back of the cupboard. This might be a little tedious at first, but trust us when we say that you’ll be saving the environment because this is will greatly reduce wastage. Knowing what you have in the pantry helps too so you can make sure that you use the stuff you’ve got, rather than having to empty out your storage and replace everything.

·         Be Neat and Diligent with your items

Making sure your house is clean and tidy by doing a quick sweep of the house, or mopping up spills and accidents as soon as they happen helps you to save money and time on having to suffer a bigger job when the little dirty bits combine together to make one big mess that you’ll still have to clean! You’ll be able to save on the heavy duty cleaners which obviously can’t be good for the environment. Also when you keep your things in good condition and again you’ll save money because you won’t have to replace them so often.