9 OrganizingLA Hip Tips for an Eco-Friendly Relocation

Last week, the OrganizingLA Blog received a comment from reader Eric, about energy savings and his devotion to be "green."

Since recycling and being smart about the environment is a popular subject with our Clients as well as LA's Glitterati, we wanted to write about a special service:  UsedCardboardBoxes.com.

You won't need to check with your Hollywood Agent about this one.  It's brainless.

If you had a way to utilize gently-used cardboard boxes and an array of tough Rubbermaid plastic tubs for your next residential or small business move, would you use them?

Would you use them if the boxes were less expensive, clean, and the company provided a drop-off AND pick up service, after you've unpacked?  We hope so.  Because UsedCardboardBoxes.com is one of those ways to be smart, while making it easy to recycle.  Their site walks you through the entire process, including ordering, drop off, picking up the empties and taking them away!

Here are "9 Organized Moving Tips" while making use of second-hand moving products, courtesy of John Trosko and OrganizingLA:

1. Utilize Rubbermaid tubs for transporting anything not fragile.  And you turn them in when you're finished unpacking.
2. Use the tubs for your household organizing projects, as interim containers until you've sourced sizes your cabinets or shelving will accommodate.
3. Boxes arrive flat.  You have to tape them yourself, so make sure you have enough tape, and a gun.
4. Knowing you have to return the boxes, is a nice, gentle "system," pushing you to unpack everything in a timelier manner.
5. Get more boxes than you need, you can pack lighter, so the boxes are easier to transport.  Books are heavy, right?
6. Not every box is available in every size or quantity.  So be flexible.
7. Mark the boxes with the room name (at least the box sides,)and it's contents.  A piece of fluorescent paper or index card work well.
8. Know your boxes will be broken down at the back end, for an additional fee, saving you time.  (So tell Cristophe to make you look über-gorgeous after you've unpacked-- get that manicure knowing you won't be touching any dangerous corners ripping the boxes apart.)
9. Feel good knowing that monies raised from the pick up are used to plant trees.

My Toluca Lake colleague Sara Getzkin, of Hands On! Organizing Services, loves this system, because they're eco-friendly and less expensive at the same time.  Sara says:

"Usedcardboardboxes.com has a great website that guides you through the eco-sensitive process.  Boxes can be delivered to your location for a small fee.  I've come to appreciate this service when my clients live on the 5th floor in Century City, the Wilshire Corridor or even Downtown.  I've also called them with questions (1-888-boxes88) and they're always helpful, with friendly voices on the other end.  Their boxes are clean, sturdy, and come in all sizes.  I've often placed orders online very late at night and my boxes arrived the next day without incident.  The best feature of their service is their box pick-up service.  Again, for a small fee, they will pick up your boxes at the end of the move and recycle them.  Deliveries and pick-ups are exactly when they say they are.

As a relocation pro, this service has made my relocation assignments much easier. Plus, it's one less errand an associate has to run and a great way to remove a stressful piece of the moving puzzle."

Related Posts:

• How to recycle video tapes
• Smart packing
• Helping others, use this cool software to track charity donations

Are readers looking for any special eco-friendly organizing or relocation products?  Comment below.