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There are no two ways about it: Even the simplest move across town consumes plenty of fuel and spews significant pollutants. And with nearly 40 million Americans moving in the past year alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, you can bet that the environmental costs start to stack up.
But while considering the carbon impact of your move may be the furthest thing from your mind when you're drowning in boxes, you can still relocate responsibly by following a few simple guidelines. To start off with, you'll want to get rid of any extraneous baggage you're still holding on to for less-than-practical reasons. Besides saving you on some bubble wrap and packing tape, the less stuff you have to move, the fewer trucks you'll need to haul your precious cargo to your new hearth and home.
Lighten your load by holding a neighborhood yard sale, or by going virtual with Web sites such as Craig's List, eBay, and FreeCycle. You can also donate gently used items to thrift stores such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, or to your local church and homeless shelter.
For those hard-to-recycle materials, punch in your zip code at Earth911.org or MyGreenElectronics to find a recycling center or hazardous-waste disposal facility near you.
PCs and other electronics holding you back? Find out if the manufacturer has a take-back or recycling program. Dell, for instance, will take back any Dell product, free of charge, regardless of whether you purchase a new one. Toshiba has said that it will recycle its notebooks for free, as well, and without requiring the customer to buy a new Toshiba PC. You can also recycle any brand of computer, printer, or multifunction device through Hewlett Packard's Planet Partner recycling program, but prepare to dole out $13 and $34 per item.
If your PC's in working order, consider donating it to a local nonprofit or school-after you've wiped it clean of any sensitive information, of course. And, in addition, to the thrift stores we suggested earlier, you can also contact Computers for Schools and the National Cristina Foundation.
Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
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