Move 'em out

The end of the school year is one of those times that signals "moving day." Recent grads ditch the dorms and college ghettos in search of adult digs. Parents consider summer vacation a proper time to uproot the young ones and settle into a new neighborhood. And cruising those open houses is more fun during the sunny, hazy days than during rain or snow.

So once the new place is secured, you'll want to make the transition lighter on the planet as well as easy on yourself and your pocketbook.

Here are some tips we've found for eco-friendly packing gear.

• Buy green: Order recycled cardboard boxes online from UsedCardboardBoxes.com, as recommended by Planet Green. In just a couple days, you can get a complete moving kit for about $150 that will pack up a two-bedroom house. That's over 60 boxes, plus packing tape, paper, even Sharpie markers.
  
  This company's boxes are all rescued from being trashed -- they were overruns or customer returns. The boxes aren't brand-new, so they're cheaper than typical moving boxes. And, of course, you're using stuff that would otherwise be thrown away.


• Reuse green: Use Freecycle to find moving boxes in your neighborhood. My local Freecycle list seems to have someone giving away used boxes every month. Find a group, sign up, and scan your town's listings for what's available.
  
  Oh, and the Freecycle Network is a great place to purge stuff before you move, so you have less to transport. Then when you get settled and realize, hey, we really need a new bookshelf or lawn mower, check out your new area's Freecycle list to find those items.


• Gather green: Collect moving boxes from the grocery store, liquor store, and your office. These will be free, somewhat fast, and pretty convenient. The boxes were headed to the garbage anyway!
  
  You'll get a hodge-podge of box sizes, but I've found this comes in very handy. For example, copier paper boxes usually have a lid, and they're very sturdy -- great for transporting books. At the liquor store, keep the dividers inside boxes holding wine and other tall bottles -- use these dividers to keep your collectibles safe and secure.

Need more help greening your upcoming move? On Yahoo! Video, Ryan and friends have a fun clip about recycling, reducing, and reusing items as you're packing up the old place.