Green Packing

March 28, 2011 The California Association of Realtors Newsletter always has a "Green Tip of the Week". Last week's tip caught my attention since ultimately are clients will be packing as they move from one property to another. Some will have the luxury of professional movers, but many will be doing the packing themselves. It is possible to purchase used packing boxes from moving companies. That can be a place to begin the reuse of packing materials. To continue to go "green" on your next move, you can wrap fragile items in old newspapers and when you unwrap them you can recycle the paper. Using newspaper can be as protective as Styrofoam, bubble wrap and peanuts that are not good for the environment. As for furniture - I was amazed at the efficiency of professional movers who came to take some valuable pieces of furniture for a Bonham and Butterfield auction. They used blankets, not foam wraps. They then almost totally wrapped masking tape around the blanketed item. Thus the packing of the furniture was either recyclable (masking tape) or reusable (blankets). If it is absolutely necessary to use non-biodegradable packing materials, ask around. You will probably be able to locate some from someone's past move. You might also try Mail Boxes, etc. or a UPS store. I know that they happily take my old peanuts and reuse them. When we move we can add "environmentally friendly" to our packing.