Eco-Friendly Moving: Sustainable Packing & Moving Solutions
The average house move generates significant waste — dozens of cardboard boxes, rolls of bubble wrap, armfuls of packing paper, and a skip full of discarded items. With some simple substitutions, you can dramatically reduce that environmental footprint without spending more.
9 min read
The Environmental Cost of a Standard Move
A typical 3-bedroom house move uses approximately 60–100 cardboard boxes, 20–30 metres of bubble wrap, multiple rolls of packing tape, and generates significant vehicle emissions from multiple trips. Most of the cardboard and plastic is used once and discarded.
The good news: sustainable alternatives exist for almost every part of this process, and most of them are either cheaper or free.
Sustainable Packing Materials
Instead of
New cardboard boxes
Use
Hire reusable plastic moving crates (available from companies like CRATE IT in major cities), use boxes sourced from retailers, or use existing storage containers, laundry baskets, and suitcases.
Eliminates cardboard waste entirely
Instead of
Bubble wrap
Use
Clothing, towels, and linen as padding. Newspaper as cushioning (note: ink can transfer to light-coloured items). Compostable kraft paper as an alternative to bubble wrap.
Reduces plastic waste significantly
Instead of
Plastic packing tape
Use
Paper tape (water-activated or pressure-sensitive paper tape is widely available and recyclable). Some boxes can be interlocked without tape if well-constructed.
Compostable/recyclable alternative
Instead of
Foam peanuts and packaging
Use
Rolled clothing, scarves, and fabric items as gap-fillers. Crumpled newspaper for fragile items. Old towels for furniture protection.
Zero new materials required
Fewer Trips = Less Emissions
Vehicle emissions are often the biggest environmental cost of a move. Every trip in a petrol vehicle contributes to carbon emissions. Strategies to minimise trips:
- Use stowey to maximise load efficiency: Fewer, more completely-loaded trips beat more, partially-loaded trips every time — for both cost and emissions.
- Hire a larger vehicle for one trip: A single large van trip emits less than three small car trips — even accounting for the larger engine. For short moves, a hired van for one day is often the most efficient option.
- Electric removalist vans: Some removalist companies now operate electric or hybrid vans — worth asking when requesting quotes.
- Combine errands: Plan your final moving day to accomplish the move and necessary visits (tip, op shop donation drop-off, grocery run) in a single efficient circuit.
Responsible Disposal of Unwanted Items
Landfill should be the last resort. In order of environmental preference:
Give away (Freecycle, Buy Nothing, Facebook)
Maximum benefit — item continues its useful life at no cost to anyone.
Donate to charity
Op shops resell, generating income for social programs and keeping items in use.
Sell (Marketplace, Gumtree)
Item is reused; you recover some cost.
Specialist recycling
E-waste, mattresses, paint, and many materials have dedicated recycling programs.
Council recycling collection
Better than general waste for metals, cardboard, glass.
General waste / landfill
Last resort only — for genuinely broken, contaminated, or non-recyclable materials.
Pack More Efficiently, Make Fewer Trips
Use stowey to maximise your load on each trip — fewer trips means less fuel, less emissions, and less cost.
Trip Planner