Ways Self Storage Operators Can Guide Customers Interested in Green Moving

More self storage facilities in recent years have made the move to run environmentally-sensitive businesses by installing solar panels, switching to fluorescent lighting and offering recycling programs to customers.  It is good for the environment, easier on the wallet in the long run and good practice when it comes to attracting a customer base that is increasingly more environmentally aware. Moving and self storage go hand-in-hand, so it is only natural that customers are also looking to the moving industry to embrace eco-friendly ways.

The term “green moving” has emerged as a growing trend in the moving industry. Also called “earth-friendly moving,” the process involves alternatives to using and throwing away cardboard boxes and bubble wrap.  Self storage businesses can aid customers in making green choices during their moving process by offering advice and even providing necessary materials. The following are ways customers can be advised on green moving practices.

• Purchase used cardboard boxes or look for new boxes made of recycled material.
• Rent moving boxes such as reusable packing crates
• Cut back on bubble wrap by using old newspapers or old sheets and towels.
• Choose environmentally-friendly cleaning products such as the Seventh Generation national brand that can be found in most grocery stores and discount chains.
• Hire moving companies that utilize eco-friendly practices, such as Go Green Moving which owns bio-diesel trucks, uses moving pads made from 100 percent recycled cotton and rents out packing crates.
• Inquire about eco-friendly practices to moving companies so that they realize consumers are demanding green moving features.

Three companies are renting packing crates made of recycled plastic and other materials – California-based Earth Friendly Moving, MovingGreen.com and Rent-A-Crate.  Earth Friendly Moving started three years ago and converts post-consumer trash into crates and packing materials that replace traditional and expensive supplies like cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts. The company touts saving customers about 50 percent on their moving expenses.  MovingGreen and Rent-a-Crate both offer significant savings on moving expenses and offer recycled plastic crates with lids in different sizes – no taping necessary.

Traditional moving companies across the country are also taking steps to appeal to customers with an interest in eco-friendly moves. Concerned about their industry’s reputation for waste, they are taking steps to be more green, including converting trucks to biodiesel, setting up free cardboard-box exchanges with other customers and offering biodegradable alternatives to bubble wrap and foam.

Sources Used:

Johnson, Tim.  “Green Moving Tips: Earth-Friendly Ways to Move.”  About.com.  2011.

Hager, Emily. “Moving Day Without All the Waste.” The New York Times.  Jan. 21, 2009.