Cardboard boxes are ubiquitous. Many of us have boxes in our basements or garage—just in case we need one. Grocery stores, wine markets, discount outlets are all swimming in boxes. Though these may be used for a move by starving students and newlyweds, boxes made especially for moving are a much better choice.
Where to get Cardboard Moving Boxes
Of course moving and shipping firms are the likely place to find the cardboard boxes that you want. Most will deliver them to your door, and will pick up any that you can’t use. I found an online source that offers more than a thousand different types of boxes! (For use for everything from haz-mat materials to compartmented glass packs.) An alternative to professional moving companies are discount stores, especially home improvement stores. Some firms offer used boxes for sale. And they buy them from firms with lots of surplus boxes, so you know that you are being earth friendly.
Selecting Boxes
Do a careful inventory before deciding what boxes you will need. You can find suggestions and guidelines for inventories that can really help. ( Or, find the inventory you made for insurance purposes. We’ve all actually done this, I’m sure.) There are many specialty boxes available, and if you decide that you are purchasing new boxes, it is worth a little more expense to select cardboard moving boxes that will best protect your possessions. Specialty boxes include cartons for:
- · Golf clubs
- · Lamps
- · Mirrors
- · China and glassware
- · Televisions
- · Computers and peripherals
- · Mattresses
- · Bicycles
- · Paper files
- · Clothing
- · Skis and skateboards
- · Guns and rifles
Moving Kits
Moving kits are a recent innovation that is a great time saver. Deciding what types of boxes and how many can be a problem, but moving firms have made it easier by putting together kits that include the boxes needed for a kitchen, a two-bedroom apartment…just about any type of home that you have. One online firm I looked at even had kits for 10-bedroom houses! The kits all include the supplies needed to pack efficiently and safely.
Disposal of your Boxes
Luckily there are options for reuse or recycling cardboard boxes. There are online bulletin boards where you can ask for or offer boxes, especially for moving. Creative uses for cardboard boxes are endless—my community recycling board just listed a request for a large appliance box so a child could make a fort. Recycling is easy if you flatten the box, and most recycling locations now accept cardboard. I do have a friend who uses discarded cardboard moving boxes as mulch in her flowerbeds. (I was really surprised about this, but she swears that it works.) Remember, packing peanuts and other styrofoam products are not recyclable, so try to use blank newsprint if you can. (Newsprint is usually made from recycled paper—as are cardboard boxes.) Cellulose wadding is another alternative. I usually save packing peanuts included in shipments I recieve, and then reuse them myself when shipping anything. Also, some packing peanuts are made of starch, so if you want to be earth friendly, look for them.
So, now that you have learned more than you ever thought possible about cardboard moving boxes, you should be ready to get packing! And you can keep a commitment to be environmentally responsible without using those old produce boxes from the grocery store
Connie Williams is an information junkie who lives to ferret out fascinating ideas for her readers. She writes blog posts on a variety of topics such as packing boxes. Unfortunately, she has moved much too often, and has learned the hard way that proper cardboard moving boxes are a necessity.
