Sunday, August 2, 2009

Have a Greener Move by Renting Plastic Moving Boxes

frogbox.com van - plastic moving boxes
OK, I'm a sucker for a good-looking frog. So when I saw Frogbox, I knew it was time to update my last post on greener moving boxes - alternatives to going out and buying a bunch of new cardboard boxes. Frogbox serves greater Seattle and greater Vancouver, British Columbia. [via Springwise]


rented plastic moving crates

Another option is Rentacrate, which serves Boston, Hartford, New York City, Washington DC, Atlanta, Charlotte, Tampa, Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.


rented plastic moving box

The crates are mostly for commercial moves, and for things like computer equipment; for other items, the company provides the Rentabox. [via Daily Danny]



rent-a-green box

And let's not forget Rent-A-Green Box - mentioned in my prior post and serving Los Angeles County, Long Beach and Orange County.

As Grist writes about renting plastic moving containers: "This may be a win-win solution. You get a durable crate, and so do 400 other people."

And of course, decluttering before you move is always a good idea. Why spend the resources (time, money and energy) to move things you won't even want in your new home?

6 comments:

charmed said...

i usually just find somewhere to get free boxes, then recycle them all when i am done. I've never actually paid for boxes. but this seems like a good idea for people who can't get boxes from anywhere.

Jeri Dansky said...

Exactly, charmed. My earlier post spoke briefly about places to get free cardboard moving boxes, but that isn't always an option.

spencer Brown said...

Hello Green Friends!

Thanks for the cool post Jeri!

5 years ago, I created my first Recopack moving box made from 100% recycled plastic trash and created the first zero waste packing and moving system in America.

Now I'm make]ing my world famous electric lime green Recopacks in three sizes and expanding nationwide.

The big issue here about green moving is simple to me: it's always better to use trash and detox landfills versus using oil to make virgin plastic crates. We need to conserve our resources!

With over 13 products made from 100% recycled trash mined from local and regional landfills, we're here to help you green your next move.

Check our website to see if we have a new store opened in your area!

Thanks!

Spencer Brown
Founder of Rentagreenbox.com

Anonymous said...

Hi Spencer Brown. Are your machines running on garbage too or are you using electricity and oil to power them? D the trucks that deliver the recycled trash to your warehouse use biodiesel or gas? There might be some gas being used because of your need for recycled trash. Are you sure your company is zero waste? I don't think you can claim being 100% zero waste if your supply chain is not zero waste.

citymove.ca said...

Plastic moving boxes are neither mover, cost nor environmentally friendly.Please visit our blog at
www.citymove.wordpress.com for an expanded discussion on these points.

Jeri Dansky said...

CityMove, thanks for the added perspective. I did indeed go to your blog to read more.

I know some companies have multiple sizes of plastic moving boxes, and of course you can use a dolly - and that would mitigate some of your concerns. (And I've seen people use the wrong size cardboard moving box for books, making it way too heavy.)

But it's good to be aware of the potential hazards, so people can make informed choices.