Maybe it’s your mom’s fault you’re not inclined to live a greener life. Remember her constant admonition to “finish your broccoli” or “eat your greens” ? Well, another kind of “go green”message is being shouted at us– or, at least whispered regularly– from all directions. If you’re planning a move to your dream home– you can make it a green home, too. Going green can even help your move go smoother.
Hopefully by now, you’ve noticed that the “go green” message around us is starting to make sense. (You’re probably finding that your mom was right about a lot of stuff, too.) But although you know that being green-friendly and caring about the environment is important, you find yourself at least a little resistant– maybe because the message gets a little preachy sometimes. And maybe your vision of a green lifestyle still involves a hippie living off the grid on Saltspring Island.
Sticky Green
It’s true. A lot of us become begrudging greenies. The government has forced our hand. Case in point: we’re well trained to hang on to pop cans and beer bottles and haul them regularly to the nearest recycling depot because we want our deposit back. But have you ever noticed there aren’t a lot of cheerful faces at the bottle depot? Maybe it’s the constant smell of stale beer and wine clinging to their containers– memories of happier times. It could be sticky-finger syndrome from sorting those containers not quite empty of the spirits of Christmas past. It could also be the disappointment one gets from the mere $2.45 for doing the right environmental thing.
Here’s a little Kary Movers advice for you about surviving the tainted world of bottle returns. Come moving time– you’ll likely have a lot of them, so allow us to offer a little feel-good advice.
Have you noticed how popular bottle, food and clothing drives are these days? What an opportunity for you to see a lot more smiling faces than you’re likely to see at the bottle depot– and give your direct support to local Girl Guides, a neighbourhood school or local minor softball team. For them, all that glass and aluminum is the gold that will help them reach their goals. Give them a little shine and help the community you live in.
Give Some Green
Be proactive and find out when the next local bottle drive is happening in your area and check to see if there are other donations they’ll accept. As you do your pre-move sort-through of your stuff, you may find that you can kill two or three birds with one stone, so to speak. (We want you to know we are not wanton bird-killers.)
Scaling down at moving time or any time is a sensible and rewarding activity on many levels– a “green” activity, even though you may not consider yourself all that environmentally conscious.
Surprise. A large part of being environmentally conscious is just practical, sensible living. It helps you to give back not only to the community you live in– but to the earth. It also eases the strain on your bank account. And at moving time, that’s especially important, no?
Easy Ways Save Some Green
There are lots of everyday tried-and-true, money-saving methods of recycling. Sometimes we just need a reminder. So, here’s your reminder! Chinese food take-out, margarine and yogurt containers are a great way to create your own free Tupperware. Also, recycling wrapping paper and newspaper is always a money saver, especially at moving time, when you’ll need more of it.
As moving day approaches, think about reusing your old shoe and wine boxes to pack things. Please keep in mind plastic trash bags are terrible things to pack your things in. Don’t use them. They break easily under heavy loads and take much longer to biodegrade than cardboard or paper.
It’s simply common sense that when you reduce and reuse in a practical way you will save money. Buying less stuff obviously helps. But you can be eco-friendly and save money while making purchases. For example, if you’re planning to buy new electronics to replace your old ones, keep in mind that some retailers will give you credit for things like old cell phones and computers. Best Buy Canada is one store that offers such credit—and it’s worth searching Google for more such retailers close by.
We think you’ll be pretty amazed at what you can recycle. Even though recycling won’t always put cash directly in your hands, you’ll likely save an expensive trip to the landfill and reduce your environmental footprint at the same time.
Did you know, for example, that you can now take many electronic items, including batteries, to the same recycling depots that take your bottles and cans? And you won’t usually have to stand in line with the not-so-happy bottle-return crowd that we mentioned earlier.
Easy To Be Green
Retailers are making it easier to recycle, too. We’ve noticed, for example, that IKEA stores accept used batteries. Employers are also getting into the spirit– offering recycling for batteries and other items. So, do you really have an excuse not to “get with the program,” either formally or informally?
In our “Garage Power” blog , we mentioned the BC Recycles website, which allows you to easily find out which of your items are recyclable. Generally speaking, everything is recyclable! It’s just a matter of knowing where to go and who to call– and the BC Recycles site makes it easy.
So, get busy perfecting your green lifestyle (mom will be proud, we’re sure), starting with your pre-moving activities. While you do that, Kary Movers will get busy with everything it takes to create a successful, less stressful move–whether it’s across town, across the Lower Mainland or well beyond.
Part of getting and staying green involves creating a plan and following it through– just like moving. At Kary Movers, we’ll help you with that, just like we have with thousands of others. Call us at 1-877-687-1746 or email us at info@karymovers.com. Feel free to request a moving quote here on our site.