Make it light, make it green

I'm standing here looking at my single car garage at my new apartment. I moved from Idaho to Wisconsin the first of October and I'm wondering why I brought all this stuff. Bear in mind, I brought enough stuff for a household of two, left behind a house with 2 kitchens, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, family room and living room, ready for a household of 5, not to mention the stuff I left in storage spaces within the house. And that was after giving away three van loads of "stuff."

But even with all that I don't think I downsized enough for the new apartment in Wisconsin or in what I left behind in Idaho. If you are like me and need some help in downsizing and curtailing future purchases, I suggest you view the "The Story of Stuff" at http://www.storyofstuff.com . It's a thought provoking view of how much stuff we seem to think we need and the whole cycle of consumerism.

Let’s get back to the problem on hand. I still have boxes to unpack and a stack of empty, flattened boxes leaning against the wall that I need to recycle. I'm also thinking about all that paper that was used to wrap every plate, cup, picture frame and lampshade. Where did all that go? Did my husband put it in the recycle bin? Can it go in the recycle bin or is just trash? Is there a better way to make these household moves?

Moving is big business in the USA. "Using 2007 ACS data, it is estimated that a person in the United States can expect to move 11.7 times in their lifetime based upon the current age structure and average rates and allowing for no more than one move per single year. At age 18, a person can expect to move another 9.1 times in their remaining lifetime, but by age 45, the expected number of moves is only 2.7." I pulled this quote from http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/migrate/cal-mig-exp.
According to the Moving Box Delivery's website they calculate the number of moves in a lifetime to be 16, roughly once every 5 years. But the point is that the number of moves an individual will make is staggering. The bright side is that according to the US Census once you are 45 years old, the expected number of moves drops to 2.7. But at the ripe old age of 54, and a move to Idaho eight years ago and this recent move to Wisconsin I can attest to the fact that I may hit three moves before the dust settles as I don't anticipate Wisconsin as my state of choice for retirement.
So we've established that Americans move a lot. The reasons for the moves are varied, from kids moving out of parents home, moves for marriage, moves for divorce, moves for job and moves for retirement, all part of the great circle of life. But with this many moves happening how can we best help the planet and be green about all that cardboard and paper? Here's where I can provide you some ideas to make your next move a green one.

The first thing to consider is that the less you move, the less you pack, the lighter the load, thus a greener move. So pare down all that stuff you don't need any more. Cut through the emotional attachments for things that remind you of stuff that's in your head anyway. Does that teddy bear you've been dragging around really need to make this trip or will you simply forget all the details of your childhood if you don't have it. Come on, let's be real. If that teddy bear is in good shape, donate it an organization like Teddy Bears for Kids (http://www.tb4k.com/) who will take your new or gently used bear to put a smile a kid's face.

Along the lines of getting rid of stuff, I have a confession to make. I own 3 sets of dishes and we're not taking the 4 place setting kind of sets. We're talking mongo size sets, dinner for 12, 14 or 16. So here's what I did, I brought my wedding dishes to use for everyday with me to Wisconsin...my 25th anniversary is coming up and I think I may have used those dishes 25 times, time to put some wear and tear on them. I split the mongo set of 16 between the two kitchens in the Idaho house. The last set is still in storage in the china hutch for my son to take when he makes his first move out of the family home. So while I didn't get rid of any, two sets are in use and one set will soon make a trek somewhere in a few years.

Another way to keep your move green is to use your own towels, sheets, cloth napkins, tablecloths etc. to wrap some of that critical precious cargo you're moving. Glassware and crystal can be safely moved by using recycled partitioned liquor boxes and certainly large flat items could be safely ensconced between your bed mattresses. Recycle the packing materials that may have come in shipments you've received. Oh, you didn't save all that bubble wrap and air pads? Oops, you weren't thinking green were you?

So check your things out and get rid of the duplicates, the old stuff and definitely those clothes you know you are never going to wear. There are a number of organizations that will gladly put your clothes to good use. Think light, make it green!