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Moving is a lot of work and not really much fun.  But that doesn't mean it has to hurt the planet.  Most Americans move on average every five years and over 40 million house moves each summer.  That's a lot of packing materials going into landfills and fuel used to get all that stuff from point A to point B.  There are some simple things that you can do on your next move to leave a lighter footprint.

Reusing boxes or crates help to keep those items out of a landfill.  Look into UsedCardboardBoxes.com.  Their boxes are either once used or may even be new factory misprints, overruns or customer returns that are no longer needed.  They pre-pack our boxes along with convenient accessories into low-cost, earth-friendly "stacks" and "kits" that consist of the sizes and shapes used most often by do-it-yourself movers and professional moving companies.

Also consider what you pack with.  Stay away from the plastic peanuts and bubble wrap.  They both stay in landfills for a long, long time.  Using old newspapers is an age old way to save money and landfill space.  If you don't have enough, ask your neighbors or a local coffee shop for their leftovers.  For items that need a little more TLC, check out the products at Green Packaging Inc (www.greenpackaginginc.com).  Their PaperNuts are made from 100% recycled materials - old corrugated cartons (post consumer) and paper processing production waste (post industrial). They also have biodegradable peanuts that are produced from resin developed from starch and other renewable resources.  Both of these products are water soluble so that they can go back into the soil.

Over 20 percent of the American population packs and moves each year.

On our last move, we used wardrobe and extra-sturdy computer boxes that had been used in 4 other moves.  After each move, I break them down and stack them neatly in the back of a storage area for the next big move.