Moving green

Being the ever-frugal and environmentally conscious person that I am (or try to be), I wanted our Colorado-Illinois trek to have as minimal an impact on the earth and our bank account as much as possible. And now, with a month or so remove on it, I still feel like we did pretty well. Here's what went right, what went wrong, and some things that might help you the next time you have to uproot.

SUCCESS STORIES:
Shedding. I have gone from pack rat to compulsive shedder. (When I announced this to my husband, he hugged me with tears in his eyes. “Finally!” he said. “You’re one of us!”) It’s always been part of the “thrift” thing – “What if I need it one day?” So I lugged things around for 10 years or more, waiting for the day when I might need it. Then, when we realized we were moving, I looked around and, through my tears, said, “Well, I don’t want to take all this stuff.” I didn’t need this weight, this dormant energy that 20 boxes of unused stuff brings. Why not send it out into the world, to spread joy and comfort to those who need it (if I haven’t used it for 10 years, clearly I don’t)? So I did, and I threw very little away. And I’ve never felt better.
Have a yard sale (or two). Sell it on Craiglist or eBay. Put it on Freecycle. Give it to your local charity thrift store. Give it to friends. Spread the wealth (and create a little wealth for yourself), and keep it out of the landfill!

Boxes. Thank goodness my natural pack-rat tendencies led to my having saved every barely usable box I’ve accrued since college – we didn’t have to buy a single box this time! Family and friends also gave us some boxes, totally unsolicited. Never turn down gifts of boxes at moving time.
If you don’t have a stockpile from which to draw, or friends who will give or lend you boxes, get freebies from the liquor store or grocery store. That’s where many of ours came from in the first place. They’re free, and they’re strong; and by taking them off their hands, you’re keeping them out of the waste stream.

Packing materials. We had some leftover bubble wrap, which we reused, but mostly I multi-tasked my newspaper subscription (which helps an industry close to my heart in the first place). I say pish-posh to those who insist that one must pack in something other than newspaper – if you wrap your fine things well (as you would a present, but without the tape) and in a couple of layers of paper, you’ll have little to no breakage. (I always make sure to wash my plates and cups once they make it to their destination.) It’s so much cheaper, and it’s recyclable.
Another idea, which I used to great effect, is to use towels and sheets as packing materials rather than packing them separately.

CRUSHING FAILURE:
Moving truck. We rented a Penske truck, the biggest one we could get (after all, there are six of us). One reason we picked Penske was that it purported to get 500 miles per diesel tank. But even on almost exclusively highways, and even with using cruise control, we found it got about half that. (We think they figured the mileage on an empty truck. Because who doesn’t rent a truck to PUT NOTHING IN IT? Thanks for the bait-and-switch, Penske. End of rant.)
We were paying for the move ourselves; thus, we did the whole thing ourselves. This was the balance we had to strike. If you are able to hire professional movers, it’s worth checking Green Movers to get a quote. Their partner movers are taking steps to reduce carbon emissions and their contributions to the waste stream. If yours is a local move, you might be able to find a mover that uses biodiesel-powered trucks (a little Google searching ought to help you there).

Earth Day

So how did you celebrate your Earth Day?

I confess that, despite my cheapness (and crunchiness), I did not notice it was Earth Day until it was half over. Shoot. I would have been well-prepared with some kind of eloquent blog entry or something. And I wasn’t. Believe me when I say that I live in one crazy house now, with a long-distance move looming close on the horizon. I spend most of my time nowadays moving, packing, and spending time with the people I love.

More about that long-distance move in a later post. It relates, in its own way.

So, how did I spend Earth Day once I realized it was Earth Day? I spent it kind of the way I spend almost every day, with one difference: We are also celebrating National TV Turnoff Week. And yes, I am aware that “American Idol” is still on. But the reasons are great:
1. My kids are spending their evenings playing board games with each other. BOARD GAMES! Next week, you’ll see why community is the linchpin to this lifestyle I’ve created.
2. Televisions suck a great deal of energy, even when they’re off. According to a CNET review of 139 television sets, the cost of running a television can vary from $30 to more than $100 per year.
3. Apart from the fact that we’re saving some energy and the kids are playing board games, it’s better for their brains, and for mine. There’s loads of evidence out there that draws a direct correlation between TV and childhood (and adult) obesity, attention-related problems, poor socialization skills, and anemic academic performance.

Lots more of you, however, did more than me (my friend tended her garden and put up her clothesline – I’m jealous!). Did you do anything differently today?