Almost all aspects of moving, be it packing your items or driving across country, can leave a carbon footprint or just have some type of environmental impact in general. Carbon footprint is measured in units of carbon dioxide, and calculates the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced.
One of the first carbon footprints that moving creates is from the materials used for packing such as boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and foam peanuts. The production and lifecycle of such materials will devour precious resources such as fossil fuels and trees. At the end of their lifecycle, or perhaps even before, these materials will end up in a landfill. During your long distance move, be sure to reuse and recycle packing materials when possible.
One carbon footprint that isn’t necessarily in our hands comes from using non-renewable resources like oil to produce gasoline used in moving trucks. If your move is from coast to coast, this can leave a large footprint. However, vehicle manufacturers are changing their ways and producing more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Greening Your Move
You may be feeling a bit weighed down by all this information, but try not to get discouraged. Some of these things are not in your direct control. However, you can help by greening your move a little.
Start with the items you no longer wish to keep. Try not to rent a dumpster to discard those items; Instead, find other homes for them. You can start with a yard sale or just put them on the side of the road with a “Free" taped on. If there are remaining items, donate the rest to a local shelter, Goodwill, or Salvation Army.
There are a few websites that offer a way to offset your long distance move. For example, Begreennow.com allows you to calculate your CO2 emissions and purchase renewable energy credits (RECs) as well as funding reforestation projects.
