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How to Be More Sustainable During Your Campus Move

A bicycle on Syracuse University campus.

1. Use Summer Storage

There are plenty of ways to be more sustainable on campus throughout the school year. But what about when you’re moving to school in the fall or heading home for the summer? With the amount of long-distance travel and boxes involved you may think there isn’t much you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. However, the truth is, it’s easier than ever to contribute to a more sustainable and waste-free college moving experience. As the college moving experts, we’ve compiled a handful of easy things you can do to be more sustainable during your move and while living on campus.

The fewer items you haul back and forth from school to home, or vice versa, the less carbon emissions your move requires. If you’re returning to school next year, we recommend you store your items near campus in a self-storage facility to cut back on harmful greenhouse emissions from cars and airplanes. Not only is this a more sustainable choice, but it makes the move-out process easier as well. Store everything from your extra dorm stuff to cleaning supplies to moving boxes to generate less waste throughout your college career. 

2. Try Eco-Friendly Moving Supplies

When you’re packing up your dorm room essentials, use eco-friendly moving supplies over single-use supplies where possible. This is a great way to keep plastics and cardboard out of your local landfill. Here are some packing essentials from U-Haul to get you started:

3. Ship to School, Don’t Drive

Did you know that for every mile not driven, 12 lbs. of CO2 emissions is kept out of the atmosphere? By hiring college movers like Collegeboxes to deliver your items to your school – rather than hauling your items yourself in a moving truck, van, or personal vehicle – you could drastically cut down on carbon emissions on move-in/move-out on your campus. Check out our Ship to School or Direct Shipping services for more information.

4. Sell and Donate Your Stuff

You might be surprised how much stuff you collect over the school year. When it’s time to move out of your dorm or apartment, make the choice to donate or sell the items you won’t be using again. Not only will this lighten your haul on the way home (which reduces the need for gas-powered transportation and/or shipping costs), but it contributes to a more sustainable culture around your campus. Donating lightly used furniture, clothing, electronics, and school supplies to your local Goodwill keeps items out of landfills and potentially helps a student in need in the future.

5. Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

Perhaps the easiest thing you can do to contribute to a more sustainable college campus is to reuse moving supplies where you can. The supplies we listed above are all reusable. But what about moving boxes? It’s tougher to reuse moving boxes, as they can deteriorate over time, and the last thing you want to do is to pack your prized possessions in a box that’s ready to fall apart.

The solution? Double-walled cardboard boxes are designed to withstand multiple moves and the rigors of cross-country shipping and storage. The Collegeboxes Signature Supply Kit comes with five double-walled moving boxes so durable that many students end up using theirs all four years of their college career. Reusing moving boxes is an easy way to reduce waste throughout your college moves.

Five More Tips for Sustainable College Living During the School Year

Making more sustainable choices during your college move is a great start. But if you’re looking to keep up the eco-friendly lifestyle during the school year, there’s plenty more you can do. Here are some of our favorite eco-friendly tips for college students that you can try today.

  • Cut out single waste – Be sure to pack reusable water bottles, grocery bags, utensils, cloth napkins, coffee mugs, and more to cut back on plastic/paper waste.  
  • Reduce electronic usage – Keep dorm room appliances that you aren’t using unplugged, use efficient light bulbs, and keep your computer on power-save mode to save energy. 
  • Walk, bike, or take the bus – Say “no” to ride share apps and use public transportation instead. Even better, opt to walk, bike, or board wherever you’re headed if you can. 
  • Avoid water waste – Even little things like taking shorter showers, doing fewer loads of laundry, and turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth make a big difference. 
  • Be Sure to Recycle – This one is obvious, but be sure to recycle anything you can, like soda cans, paper, cardboard, etc. To make things easy, keep a recycling bin in your dorm/residence. 

Start Your College Move

Ready to ship your items to school or place some items in storage for the summer? Whatever you need, Collegeboxes has a solution that fits your needs. Our Ship to School and Summer Storage services are designed to make college moving easier and allow you to focus on what matters, like leading the charge for a more sustainable future. Learn more about Collegeboxes today.