How to move house sustainably

The sustainability of a move is mostly determined in the weeks before moving day, not on the day itself. Start early, sort honestly, and the rest becomes much easier.

Declutter responsibly before you pack

The single most effective green move you can make is to not move things you don't need. Every item you move costs energy — in van space, fuel and your own effort. Moving is an excellent forcing function to sort through everything you own and decide what's genuinely worth taking.

Start at least four to six weeks before moving day so you have time to sell, donate or recycle things properly rather than rushing them into a bin bag.

• Sell items of value. Electronics, furniture, bikes, books, clothes, kitchenware and tools all find buyers on online marketplaces, local selling groups, or to specialist second-hand dealers. List things early — a month gives you much more chance of a sale than a week.
• Donate good-condition items. Charity shops, local community groups, mutual aid networks, and neighbours can all take things you no longer need. Many charity shops offer collection services for larger items — book in advance as slots fill up.
• Recycle what can be recycled. Electronics, batteries, paint, textiles and certain plastics often have specific collection points that are separate from household recycling. Your local council website will list what's accepted where.
• Don't move furniture you're not keeping. If you know you won't use a sofa or wardrobe in the new place, don't put it on the van. Arrange its disposal or donation before moving day.

Our sustainable decluttering guide walks through how to sort, sell and donate methodically without it becoming overwhelming. For larger furniture that you can't easily shift, our furniture disposal guide covers options that aren't the skip.

Eco packing: skip the bubble wrap

A standard house move can generate a surprising amount of single-use packaging — rolls of bubble wrap, yards of packing tape, and dozens of cardboard boxes that often go straight to recycling or landfill afterwards. Most of it can be avoided or replaced.

• Use what you own as padding. Clothes, towels, bedding, curtains, tea towels and blankets make excellent padding for fragile items. Wrap glasses individually in a t-shirt, cushion breakables with jumpers, and use bedding to fill space inside boxes. You're packing these things anyway — they might as well do double duty.
• Source boxes secondhand, not new. Supermarkets, off-licences, bookshops and stationery suppliers regularly receive deliveries in sturdy boxes that they'll otherwise break down and recycle. Ask early, since they often hold them for the first person who asks. Online community groups (Freecycle, Nextdoor, local Facebook groups) also regularly have people giving away boxes after their own move.
• Rent reusable moving crates. In many countries, companies hire out robust plastic moving crates that you fill, move, and return. They're stackable, weatherproof, and protect contents well. The hire cost is often comparable to buying cardboard boxes, and no packaging ends up in landfill afterwards. Search "reusable moving crate hire" with your city or region to find local options.
• Skip the new bubble wrap. If you do need protective packing for genuinely fragile items, use paper rather than bubble wrap — it's easier to recycle. Newspaper and paper packing you've received in deliveries works well. Avoid buying new bubble wrap: the small amount of protection it offers over fabric padding and careful packing is rarely worth the waste.
• Use less tape. Packing tape is almost never recyclable. Use it only where needed to seal boxes securely, not to reinforce every surface. Store items upright in boxes that don't need excessive taping.

Reduce van trips and plan efficiently

For a local move, the biggest single source of emissions is typically the moving vehicle. Reducing the number of trips — or the size of van needed — is therefore the most direct way to lower the carbon cost of moving day itself.

• Move less stuff. This is the recurring theme: everything you declutter before moving is something that doesn't need to be transported. Less volume means a smaller van or fewer trips.
• Pack densely and stack efficiently. Disassemble furniture where possible, pack boxes fully (heavier items at the bottom), and stack systematically so the van is filled in one load. A full van is more efficient than a half-empty one making two trips.
• Consider whether a van is even necessary. For a move within the same city, especially if you don't have much furniture, a large car or SUV over several trips, or even a hire car for the day, might be all you need. Compare the actual volume of what you're moving before booking the biggest vehicle available.
• For longer moves, consider whether some items are worth shipping at all. Professional removal companies can sometimes consolidate loads (sharing van space with other customers moving the same direction), which is more efficient than a dedicated single-move vehicle.
• If renting a van, choose a newer model. Hire companies regularly update their fleets; newer vehicles are generally more fuel-efficient. If the option exists, ask.

Set up the new home efficiently from day one

The habits and setup you establish in a home in the first few weeks tend to stick. Moving in is the ideal moment to start things right — before routines are formed and before inefficient defaults become invisible.

• Check for draughts on your first walk-through. Hold your hand near window frames, doors, letterboxes and any gaps around pipes. Note what needs addressing and deal with the worst ones before winter, when they matter most.
• Set the thermostat to a sensible level and programme a timer. Don't leave it at whatever the previous occupant had set. A degree or two lower with a good timer is one of the most effective ongoing energy savings.
• Switch your energy tariff. If you haven't already arranged this, do it in the first week. In many countries, switching to a renewable or green energy tariff takes about ten minutes online and ensures the electricity you use comes with lower-carbon credentials. Check what's available in your region and what the switching process involves — it varies by country.
• Find out what recycling your new area collects and where. Recycling systems differ between councils and municipalities. A quick check of your local authority's website tells you what goes in which bin and what needs to go to a collection point.
• Set up water-saving habits immediately. If the shower has good pressure, check whether a flow restrictor would help. If you have a garden, locate the outdoor tap and consider whether a water butt would be useful.

Our guide to saving energy at home covers all the room-by-room habits and upgrades worth prioritising in a new home.

Use up food before moving and donate the rest

Food is often overlooked in a move until the last few days, when the fridge and cupboards suddenly need to be emptied. Planning ahead avoids waste and saves you money on both sides of the move.

• Stop buying non-essentials two to three weeks before moving. Use up what you have rather than accumulating more. This is a good period to cook from the freezer and the back of the cupboard — things you've been meaning to use for months.
• Be creative with what's left. Soups, stir-fries and grain dishes are good vehicles for clearing out odds and ends of vegetables, grains and pulses. It doesn't need to be elaborate.
• Don't move perishables in a hot van. Fridged and frozen food shouldn't travel unless you have a cool box and a short journey. Plan to use it up rather than transport it where possible.
• Donate what you can't use. Unopened, in-date tins, packets and jars can go to local food banks, community fridges, or neighbours. Most food banks welcome ambient goods in good condition.

Our food waste guide has more on using up ingredients before they're wasted.

After moving: recycle packing and cut junk mail

Once you're in, there are a few final steps that make a difference both immediately and over the longer term.

• Pass boxes on. If you used cardboard boxes and they're still in reasonable shape, offer them on local community groups or Freecycle. Someone else is always about to move. If they're too battered, flatten and recycle them — but a good box that gets used three or four times before recycling is far better than one that's used once.
• Return rental crates promptly. The efficiency of reusable crate hire depends on fast turnaround so the crates can be used again quickly.
• Register with the postal redirection and opt out of junk mail. Postal redirection is standard, but junk mail addressed to "the occupier" starts arriving at new homes quickly. In many countries you can register with a mail preference service or opt-out scheme to reduce unsolicited direct mail — check what's available in your country. Removing yourself from catalogues you don't want takes a phone call or email but cuts a lot of ongoing paper waste.
• Update your address across accounts at once. Set aside an hour to update banks, subscriptions, government records, loyalty cards and online shops in one session rather than doing it ad hoc over months. This also prevents paperwork going to the wrong address.

A low-waste moving checklist

1. 4–6 weeks before: start sorting — sell, donate, recycle. List items for sale early.
2. 3–4 weeks before: source free or secondhand boxes; book reusable crate hire if using; arrange charity collection for larger items.
3. 2–3 weeks before: stop buying non-essential food; start cooking from the freezer and cupboards.
4. 1–2 weeks before: pack using clothing and textiles as padding; disassemble furniture to reduce van space; donate or give away remaining unwanted items.
5. Moving day: one efficient, densely packed load; transport perishable food in a cool box or use it up beforehand.
6. First week in new home: set thermostat and timer; check recycling provision; switch energy tariff; note draughts to fix.
7. After moving: pass on boxes; return rental crates; register mail opt-outs; batch-update your address.

• Sold or donated everything you're not taking before packing day.
• Sourced boxes secondhand or rented reusable crates.
• Packed clothes and towels around fragile items instead of buying bubble wrap.
• Used up or donated food before the move.
• Switched energy tariff and set thermostat in first week.
• Passed on boxes to another mover after arrival.
• Registered to reduce junk mail at new address.