top 0

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get our top stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Logo
Copyright © 2024 LOCALIIZ | All rights reserved

A guide to eco-friendly moving

By Localiiz Branded | 20 September 2021

Header image courtesy of HiveBoxx (via Unsplash)

The idea of moving away may seem alluring—starting afresh, having the chance to reimagine your living bubble, the trove of housewarming gifts you are due to receive—yet the reality is much less glamorous. As mountains of junk begin to pile up around you like visual gauges of your stress levels, a quality moving service seems like just the fairy godmother you need to wave away your woes with the flick of a wand, or rather, with elbow grease from many pairs of hands.

Still, the carbon footprint of these relocation services is doomed to have adverse effects on the environment. Quality services cannot compromise on good materials, but as Joseph Lai, General Manager of Enterprise Moving Solutions UniGroup Asia, says, “This also increases our responsibility to Planet Earth.”

Striking the perfect balance between sustainability and elite convenience, UniGroup shares some advice on the top things you can do to protect the environment during your relocation.

Use recyclable packing material

An unmissable step in moving is ensuring that all your belongings are properly packaged, to protect against any potential shocks or bumps during transport. Typically, keeping your furniture safe are consumables like bubble wrap alongside hardy cardboard boxes, swathing your furniture in a single-use forcefield.

As an alternative, UniGroup suggests substituting the type of material being used, as well as organising shared resources, rather than questionable skimping in the name of waste reduction.

On a local scale, UniGroup secures clients’ prized possessions in reusable plastic boxes and blankets, which they recover afterwards for reuse. For items that cannot be rehashed, local recyclers gather them up for processing, transforming cardboard and paper into new products to extend their lifespans. It is a wise move to look at alternative uses for the packing materials you have on hand.

Zooming out to see the bigger picture, it’s clear that improvements can also be made from the top of the packaging pipeline. Switching to boxes crafted from more sustainable alternatives, or putting your blankets to use as anti-collision wrapping, are just a few things you can do to favour environmentally friendly materials.

For UniGroup, this approach extends to the microscopic level, such as the chemical make-up of the packaging they use. By cleverly omitting the step of bleaching their cardboard boxes, they have cut down on the number of pollutants involved.

Reforestation in compensation

Forests play a key role in regulating global climate thanks to their carbon storage capacities, in addition to forming a barrier to tropical storms, tsunamis, and rising sea and river levels. For a responsible move, consider solutions complemented by a replanting arrangement that offsets the environmental impact caused by other parts of the process.

For example, the NGO Planète Urgence runs a global environment and development programme, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting biodiversity and promoting local socio-economic development. Opt for moving services that integrate these aims into their services, and rest easy knowing that the emissions from the mover’s fleet are absorbed by the saplings planted by Planète Urgence’s reforestation programmes around the world.

As part of the MOBILITAS Group, UniGroup Asia has been a dedicated partner of Planète Urgence since as far back as 2009. Hand-in-hand, they have been supporting environmental and economic sustainability in dire communities. This includes the rebuilding of the Mahakam Delta in Indonesia’s Borneo, a shining jewel in the crown of successful restoration cases. To date, this partnership has set down roots in Asia, Africa, and even the Caribbean, with the number of trees funded totalling 268,000—and counting.

Cut down on fuel

Logistics and transport are other unavoidable sources of carbon footprint contaminants, yet there are ways to deploy these services in a less wasteful manner. Planning ahead can already limit unnecessary fuel use, staving off the depletion of dwindling finite resources as well as reducing costs.

Introducing tactics drawn from eco-driving, the strategised practice of minimising fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions from behind the wheel, UniGroup has successfully implemented a plan that reduces their annual level of fuel consumption. Thanks to an organised fleet of moving vehicles, they have reduced the need for private or public logistic solutions outside of their specialised team.

For high-quality removal solutions with a greener footprint, look no further than UniGroup Asia. Whether domestic or international, corporate or private, your move in their care is simple and stress-free. UniGroup Asia experts are spread across 190 countries and more, ready to take on any queries or challenges as you make your way to relocate.

UniGroup Asia

Assisting your domestic and international moves, UniGroup Asia provides top-tier removal services that keeps things as easy and carefree as possible. With decades worth of expertise, as well as agents in up to over 160 countries, their high-quality services guarantee satisfaction. Believing that neither environmental protection nor first-rate experiences should be compromised, their operations perfectly marry efficiency with sustainability.

(+852) 2418 4333

Read next

expand_less

Top