I moved in August, from a largish two-bedroom on the Hill to a smallish one-bedroom downtown. Aside from the lasting psychological damage inflicted on my two skittish cats, and the general chaos that comes with any move, things went relatively smoothly. Still, relocating can have a sizeable carbon footprint. I tried to be mindful; here are some steps I took — or ideas I'll remember for next time:
PURGE
Of course, getting rid of stuff would have been easier if I hadn’t purchased it in the first place. But since that wasn’t the case, I had to be brutal: When was the last time I used/wore/enjoyed this item? If the answer was more than a year ago (if ever), it got tossed — even if it was a gift, even if it had sentimental value. From now on, I’m giving my memory more credit: photos, smells, and stories are effective nostalgia-inducers that take up decidedly less space than sweatshirts and nonsense tchotchkes.
DISCARD
A big (and headache-inducing) part of purging was actually disposing of the stuff I wasn’t keeping, especially because I wanted to ensure maximum reuse and recycling. I used the following resources:
Riverside Recycling Center Open from 7 am to 4 pm Monday through Saturday, the city’s recycling center accepts large household items, bulky waste, and all types of construction debris. Disposal rates are fairly reasonable, and you can find them at publicworks.portlandmaine.gov/riversiderecyclingfacility.asp. (And in case you’re wondering, no one snickers if you cry and take camera-phone pics as you bid farewell to a much-loved sofa.)
Material Objects For sellable clothes, purses, and shoes. (Once you acknowledge that you’re never going to wear those pants, no matter how cool or small they are, call to make an appointment to consign: 207.774.1241.)
Goodwill For less-great clothing (why did I have six navy-blue hooded sweatshirts?) and various household goods.
Friends/acquaintances I’d rather my dartboard be enjoyed by someone I know than have a stranger use it.
Though I didn’t use either of them this time around, Freecycle and Craigslist are also good ways to unload random objects — and even to vet future owners. Yard sales are always a possibility, if you have a lot of desirable stuff. And sites like Gazelle.com, BookMooch.com, and CashforLaptops.com (I’ve used this one and had a good experience) specialize in giving specific types of items new lives.
PACK
Cross-town moves are simpler in part because it’s easier to get away with lazier packing. Still, you need materials, and those can be both expensive and environmentally unsound. Try saving your boxes in a dry place for the next time you need them. Or ask around — friends, Freecycle, or retail establishments often have extra boxes. If that fails, there’s always UsedCardboardBoxes.com, which collects boxes that would otherwise be “prematurely terminated” (recycled or trashed), then ships them as moving kits nationwide. (A one-bedroom moving kit — boxes, tape, markers, and box cutter — is $72.) Of course, shipping boxes, recycled or otherwise, over long distances isn’t the most eco-friendly choice. That’s why we should hope and lobby for RentAGreenBox.com to find an operating partner in Maine. The California-based company collects post-consumer trash and transforms it into durable plastic moving boxes that are delivered to your home and picked up for reuse when you’re done.
Now that I’m in the new place, there’s a new set of challenges. I no longer have to purchase the city’s blue trash bags — everything’s tossed right into the building’s Dumpster and is taken away by Carey Rubbish Removal. But there’s no recycling. I have a call in to the landlord to change the policy, but in the meantime, I’ll admit a sinful transgression: I’ve been throwing paper and glass in the trash!
With the exception of that major hurdle, I think I’ve gained some sustainability points overall. My smaller home uses less energy, requires more resourcefulness, and reminds me that I don’t need so much stuff — except boatloads of catnip, of course, to ease the transition.
Deirdre Fulton can be reached atdfulton@phx.com.
