5 Tips For Moving Office The Green Way

It often becomes necessary to move to a new office once your old one has become cramped and unable to fulfill your employees needs. However, while office moving has become a booming industry in the last ten years, people often forget how much moving ends up hurting our planet. With all the trash a move can produce, it’s no wonder it ends up contributing by quite a bit to local pollution. With that said, here are a few tips for green moving, from certified NYC commercial movers, about how to ensure our planet’s safety while at the same time meeting your needs as a business.

  1. Try to Recycle as Much as Possible

Seeing as when moving a lot of businesses tend to also clean house and get rid of unneeded assets, it’s no surprise that a move can produce a lot of trash. For example, if you’re getting rid of old computers, consider turning them in to a recycling plant, as a lot of the components found in computers can be reused. A lot of electrical equipment contain recyclable parts, and an office will for sure have loads of those. What can’t be recycled needs to be properly disposed of, as a lot of items found in offices can be bad for the environment.

If you don’t want to do the recycling yourself, consider hiring a professional green removals company that will do the recycling for you. Your move might become a bit more expensive, but it’s going to be worth it in the long run. The expertise of these companies will ensure your move will be as eco-friendly as possible, and they will also have systems in place to make sure you’re using as few packing materials as can be feasible.

  1. Take Care of Which Trucks You’re Using

Moving offices requires a lot of trucks, especially if you’re moving from a big office to an even bigger one. Then there’s also the fact that these trucks won’t be doing just one trip. As such, it’s essential to make sure that the trucks which are moving your assets are five years old or less. Older trucks were made in a time when care for the environment wasn’t as high as it is today. They might have higher emissions and a larger carbon footprint, which is especially damaging to the environment. If you’re hiring movers, then try to check that the vehicles they’re using meet emission standards and that their truck fleet is as modern as can be.

  1. Pack Smartly

In order to avoid or reduce the amount of packing materials you need, try to pack as smartly as possible. By packing smartly, we’re talking about packing in such a way so as to reduce packing waste. For example, instead of packing things individually, try to pack them in one large, plastic box. Now, of course, plastics and the environment don’t actually go together too well. But, in the case of moving, plastic packing boxes are actually much better than cardboard ones since they are reusable. A cardboard box might tear after one or two uses, but a plastic one will last you for a long time.

  1. Make Sure Your New Office is Green

Moving offices is the perfect opportunity to lower your carbon footprint and ensure you’re doing whatever you can for the environment. For example, try to use LED lights in your new office, instead of traditional light bulbs. Also, if you’ve got access to natural light, then try to use it as much as possible in order to reduce the amount of time you need to keep the lights on in your office. Another thing you can try is to source office supplies from green suppliers. Buying recycled paper is a great way of keeping the environment safe from pollution and deforestation.  Alternatively, consider going digital as much as possible.

Other ways you can fight pollution is by including plants in your office. Not only will there be more oxygen in your workspace, but plants will also give the office a more natural feeling that employees will most definitely appreciate. How you want to include plants in your office is up to you, but know that living, green walls are all the rage nowadays.

  1. Try to Donate as Much as Possible

Besides recycling, you can also donate any equipment you no longer need or use. For example, with computers or laptops, if they still work, instead of simply throwing them away, you could always donate them to a school or to underprivileged youths. Other things you can donate include furniture, desk chairs, water coolers or any other item you don’t have a need for anymore. Schools will be more than happy to take these items off your hands, and there are numerous charities that will also take on unused items.