Popping bubble wraps used to be an entertainment when I was a child. In fact, I still love to pop it. But these bubble wraps are not at all biodegradable and hence are not eco-friendly. Bubble-wraps are being used in the moving industry from quite sometime (from the 1960s, to be precise). These wraps have become very popular among moving companies as well as moving people due to their usability. As these products are made up of polyethylene, they are not environment friendly. That’s why people are looking for alternatives for a greener packing and moving.

Some of the other packing materials made up of non-environment-friendly materials are Foam Peanuts and Soft Foam Materials used for cushioning purpose.

• Foam Peanuts are generally made up of polystyrene, which are in turn are produced from crude oil and are essentially non-biodegradable. When these polystyrene products are burned, toxic fumes are emitted.
• Soft Foam packing materials are made up of polyurethane, which in turn consists of bad checmical substances like methylrnr chloride, acetone and flurocarbons.

These non-environment-friendly materials take up a large area to fill up and that’s why their disposition becomes a headache for local authorities.

Here are some environment-friendly packing materials available very easily in our surroundings:

1. Newspapers can easily be found in our houses. We can use these newspapers for cushioning our moving items from moving stress.
2. Biodegradable and eco-friendly packing peanuts are also available with many green moving companies like Green Van Lines. These packing peanuts are made up of biodegradable materials like corn starch and sorghum.

Due to global warming and reducing natural resources, eco-friendly lifestyle is becoming must to save our mother earth. We all can do certain things to protect our environment. A new trend is going on to make the moving more environment-friendly.

Traditional process of moving had not been environment-friendly. People preferred to take huge amount of stuff with them and a huge amount of toxic pollutants were generated by fuel.

You can follow the suggestions mentioned below

Make a list: Before you begin packing, you should make a list of your household and garage items. You will find a lot of things that you no longer need. You can sell or contribute them. For selling the useless items, you can choose online or the classified section of the newspaper.

Eco-friendly cleaning supplies: While cleaning your belongings before moving, try to use biodegradable and non-toxic cleaners. They are not harmful.

Earth-friendly packing: Try to use earth-friendly packing materials. Foam peanuts and plastic bubble cover generate a lot of waste. Make use of the old sheets, towels, newspaper and recycled plastic wrap.

Packing boxes: Used and recycled boxes are the best options for packing. They are strong as well as long-lasting. After you complete packing, give the remaining boxes to the moving company so that they can reuse them.

Aware of dangerous items: Things such as flammables, corrosives and explosive can be dangerous for people and harmful for the environment.

Contact eco-friendly movers: You should make contact with those who offers eco-friendly moving services. They provide recycled containers and wrapping.

After you have finished packing, you will require cleaning. The best way to do this is to use eco-friendly products. As they are made of all-natural and organic items, they are safe for the environment.

Posted By…….Janet Williams (Florida)

It has been observed that about 70% of your dustbin content can be recycled. But due to lack of knowledge on “how to”, most of us throw out stuff that can be made reusable in just 6 – 8 weeks.

A Common Trash Can Will Contain

#       Some glass bottles: These might never decompose.

#       Some notebook papers: It might take approximately three months to decompose.

#        Your old comic book: It should take minimum six months.

#        A car tire: It may never decompose.

#        Leather baseball gloves: These should not take less than forty years to decompose.

#        Few aluminum soda cans: These will take more than three hundred and fifty years to decompose.

#        The banana peels and other left over fruits: These will get decomposed within two to three months.

#        Polystyrene foam cup: It might never decompose.

#        Cardboard milk cartons: These will not decompose before five years.

#        Steel cans will take minimum hundred years to decompose.

#        Wooden baseball bat: It will decompose in twenty years.

#        Plastic sandwich packs: These will take four hundred years or more to decompose.

Note: Food products do not take much time to decompose. But it can be harmful if you litter around the place because there will be fungal and bacterial growth. So, dispose it in the right place to stay safe and clean.

By making a conscious effort to recycle them, we not only expedite the decomposition process but also make them reusable within a short time frame.

Therefore, your trash cans, at the end of the day, are generally filled with approximately 35 percent organic waste, 30 percent paper materials, 12 percent construction waste, about 9 percent plastic materials, 6 percent of metal, 3 percent glass materials and 5 percent other constituents. So, you can almost recycle every item in your house. To make your life greener apply the recycling habit in your daily life. So it is not only necessary to recycle packing materials but also recycle your daily unwanted items.

An Eco-friendly move is not enough to suppress the growing pollution rate. Apply some Eco-friendly techniques in your daily life to make the environment free from harmful toxins. To begin with, follow three R’s to make your life greener – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Reduce

Avoid buying randomly, think what you are buying and how you will use them.

1.        It is better not to purchase items that can be borrowed or shared.

2.        Any plastic items should be purchased only if they can be recycled.

3.        Reusable, rechargeable and refillable items are best.

4.        Before purchasing new household goods, either donate or arrange for a garage sale.

5.        Unsubscribe to unwanted memberships, in order to reduce the amount of paper mails. You can also stop the paper mailing option and choose the email option instead.

6.        Try to purchase in bulk to avoid too much of wrapper disposition issue.

Reuse

A single item can be used for multiple purpose. So, use your items as many times as you can and as many ways possible.

1.        Plastic bags can be used as bin bags, which can also serve as carrier bags. So you can take the same plastic bag whenever you go out for shopping.

2.        Reuse the envelope, just by sticking a label over the written address.

3.        The jars and pots can be used over and over again for different purpose, just by cleaning it before using.

4.        Cardboard, newspapers can be used for wrapping or covering. They are also used as moving materials.

5.        Old clothes or the outfits, which you hardly worn by you now-a-days, can be restitched as your cushion cover, mirror cover, teapot cozies etc.

6.        Some wrappers are also useful for making crafts.

7.       Old woods are useful for making new furniture.

Recycle

Every item is recyclable. Some get decomposed automatically but some should be send to recycling units for making them reusable within a short period of time.

*        Whenever you think that you cannot use an item any longer, keep it aside and at your convenient time send it for recycling.

*        Buy products that can be recycled.

*        Also, it is better to purchase materials that are from recycled substances.

*        Avoid buying toxic materials that are considered as  hazardous waste.

*        Contact your local council to know where should you should go to recycle the different types of materials.

*        Kitchen waste can be used as garden manure.

Why should we arrange an Eco-friendly move? What is the importance or how does it help us?

Joshua, Arlington, TX.

Green Van Lines is an Eco-friendly moving company and it is very important for you to know how can an Eco-friendly move improve your life. Today, the global warming issue is threatening the future of our offspring. It can only be resolved if we can utilize the natural resources, a bit wisely and in a more organized way. However, we will guide you at every step of your move to make it greener and nature friendly.

Eco-friendly Moving Preparation

Be sure to peep in every nook and corner of your house because you never know what you have stored  during the entire period of your settlement in the current location. In every house there are more amount of trash than useful stuff. So, instead of moving with everything you have, get rid off the unwanted stuff. This will not only help you save some money but will also minimize the energy consumption. You can either give away the items that are no longer used or arrange for a yard sale. Send the irreparable items for recycling.

Eco-friendly Packing Materials

To pack and move safely you will need huge amount of paper. It has been observed that maximum moving materials are from “virgin paper”. Approximately one ton of paper is manufactured from 17 trees. For packing you will need clean sheets of paper, strong cardboard boxes, crates, plastics, tapes etc. Therefore, instead of using nonrenewable energy, use recyclable packing materials. Some Eco-friendly moving companies rent plastic crates that are made up of renewable energy. So you can rent them at an easily affordable rate. Thus, in this era of global warming and unbalanced natural condition it is always desirable to use recycled or recyclable packing products.

Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

When you are busy planning for the safety of your belongings, make sure you don’t compromise with your health. While you are pulling out the junk from the store room, basement, attic, cupboard, under the bed etc. you will also discover some cobwebs and dust hidden here and there. These dust can cause several health problems like allergies, nausea, asthma, digestive problems etc. Hence use Eco-friendly cleaning products wherever and whenever you need to maintain hygiene.

Eco-friendly Fuel For Traveling

Packing is not the end. After completion of the packing process, the moving company loads the packed belongings in the truck and drives away. While driving to the new destination, the moving vehicle emits large amount of pollution in the environment. So, most Eco-friendly moving companies prefer to use bio-diesel for relocation. Therefore, no matter how far you travel, your move will be absolutely nature-friendly.

A proper Eco-friendly move preserves energy beside reducing the toxin level in the environment resulting in a greener and healthier tomorrow.

We have already discussed about culture shock and its symptoms after move. In this post we will discuss about the ways to avoid going through this critical phase of adjustment.

Learn About The Upcoming Differences Beforehand

You already know where you are moving, so either purchase some books or search online to know about their:

1.       languages spoken

2.       outfits

3.        interesting places or tourist attractions

4.        traditions

5.       religion

6.        festivals

7.        holidays

8.        customs

9.        common dialects

10.        national anthem, animal, fruit, flower bird etc

11.        political world

12.        famous games

13.        geographical location

14.        common legends

15.       famous personalities

16.        movie stars

17.        singers

18.        some memorable events (it can be little bit of history)

19.        food

20.        cuisines

21.        well known brands

Knowing little of these will help you prepare better to face the unknown world.

Learn Whatever Seems Interesting

Are you fond of music? Games? Cooking? No matter what is your hobby, get yourself admitted in a learning school. You can learn singing, dancing, stitching, cooking etc anything under the sky that fascinates you. Learning new things is a joyful experience. This way you will become more social and get involved with their culture quickly. And at the same time don’t quit learning about the new place.

Learn About The Country Updates

It is very necessary for you to stay tuned with what’s happening around you. So, make sure you subscribe to a daily English newspaper. This will give you topics to talk about and will also give you information.

Learn The Mode Of Entertainment

At least for the first few months make an appoint to watch the latest movies. This is a good source of understanding their lifestyle trends and common expressions. You can say you will know a lot about the place through movies.

Participate In social Events

Push yourself as well as your children to participate in the social events and competitions. Invite your friends in your occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, tea party, etc. It will make your peers feel that you are just one of them. This in turn will lead to invitation from them in their private celebration occasions.

Offer Help To Receive Help

Help wisely because in every country and in every area there are both good and bad people. So help judiciously. Thus, in return you will also receive help in your times of crisis.

You can also communicate with people who already went through this culture shock phase. Knowing that you are not the only person going through this emotional-stress will make you feel better.

In the previous post I have already explained to you about “Culture Shock” and its common symptoms. But here in this particular post I will explain to you about the different phases. In fact, this has been felt by almost everyone of you when ever you tried to adapt to something new.

Honeymoon Phase – This is the first phase and is a good one for moving people. Most of the Culture shock phase begins with a happy note. This is the time when you enjoy the changes. You like the differences and feel excited. Consequently, you feel like exploring more.

Distress Phase – Now you no longer enjoy the differences. In fact you feel as if the new place is not meant for you and really don’t belong to it. So, you are confused and feel left out.

Re-integration Phase – Previously you felt as if the new place is not accepting; now you start refusing to embrace the change and get along with it. This is the most terrific period of your adapting stage. You feel hostile and you get irritated with small stuffs, which really never bothered you earlier. You miss the life back home and you begin to compare the changes with your current one. You start feeling that the current new culture is no match to your home culture. All you have to do at this point of time is to stay calm and tell yourself that you have started adapting.

Anatomy Phase – This stage is the first sign of acceptance that makes you feel better. You appreciate the new things around you. You feel like a part of the culture and thus more confident. Now, you don’t face any problem in coping with the new things and you gladly accept the new challenge of being a part of the new crowd. Again you start living a usual and normal life.

Independence Phase – It’s the last phase of the “Culture Shock” period. It is the time when you start feeling that you belong to the new culture. Now, you have learned quite a lot about the new place and you start to appreciate both the similarities and dissimilarities.

So you have fully revived from the “Culture Shock”. Henceforth your life goes on smoothly.

We have received ample questions regarding “Culture Shock” after moving. Starting from this post we will answer all your culture shock queries. As most of you go through this “Culture Shock” phase after you move, so we will discuss everything about it, to offer you complete knowledge on the subject. In this post you will learn about the definition and the symptoms of culture shock.

What is “Culture Shock”?

“The definition of culture shock is the trauma you experience when you move into a culture different from your home culture.” This definition is quoted from a dictionary. Let us illustrate the definition, to make it clear to you. When you will move to a different country where you have never been before, you will observe that due to the change in environment, language, food habits, behavioral pattern, dressing sense, custom, religion etc you might feel left out and may have a feeling that you don’t belong to this place. This isolated feeling gives rise to many complications at times (we will discuss about the complication later).

After moving out when you will discover that from the daily informal transactions (like shopping, going for a stroll) to formal transactions that everything is unpredictable and unknown then you start missing your home town. No matter how good the people around you are but still you may feel lonely.

This happens to people who are actually not used to move frequently. Some people who are brought up in a different country and are habitual of moving here and there by themselves might not go through such a phase. Many people suffer from “Culture Shock”. But very few of them can realize it.

So, here are some symptoms that will tell you that you are suffering from “Culture Shock”.

The Common Symptoms

* Do you feel sad without having any reason? Do you feel left out when there are people around you?

* Are you getting too concerned about your health?

* Nowadays, you are frequently suffering from allergies, headaches and pains?

* Are you spending sleepless nights?

*Are you thinking that your culture was better?

* Are you making a conscious effort forcefully to adapt to the new environment and culture?

* Are you becoming too much agitated with the smallest of problems?

* Are you unnecessarily feeling shy, now and then?

* Trying very hard to be clean, as if you are obsessed with it?

* Feeling too much homesick?

* Repenting and regretting for coming to this place and you wish to go back?

Then for sure you are suffering from culture shock

Most of the people get confused with the term “Interstate” move. This term in used by different people in different way in several context. Here we will explain you what it is actually and how you can use it while dealing with your moving company. We will try to cover everything but in case you are not able to find out what you are looking for, then please specify your move and we will surely post your answer within 3 to 4 days.

The process of transporting goods from one place of a state to another place, outside that state ( it can also be a place outside United States), is called an Interstate move. That means you are moving from a place (lets say Dallas) of a state (lets say Texas) to a different place located outside that state. It can also happen the other way round. For instance, you are moving to a place in a state of United States from a place situated outside United States. According to moving parlance, this type of move is also called Interstate move.

The relocation process that is taking place between one place of a particular state to another place outside that state (it is not only a state but also can be a different country). Additionally it is not necessary that the transportation will always have to be though moving vans or trucks, instead it can also be via airways,  railways etc depending on the distance.

To be more precise, if your goods cross a state line or border of a state with the help of a moving company, then without a second thought you can be sure that it is an Interstate move. But that does not mean that a moving van or truck has to cross the state line. However the portion of the move conducted by the moving company is always administered by the Rules & Regulations of FMCSA.

An Interstate move can also take place between two places in the same state, if in case your shipment has to cross a place outside of that state or completely outside United States.

Sometimes, a move begins outside a state. Lets name the state as X. So a move began outside X and moved into X, where the moving company has built their warehouse. But keep in mind this is not the final destination, the moving company just traveled back to their warehouse located in the X state. What would you call this move? Can you call it an INTERSTATE move?

When shifting your belongings from one place to another, every person hope that the moving must end smoothly and every valuables are safe and secure, which is not that easy. There are many obstructions that can spoil the smooth transition.

Rain is one such factor that can wreck havoc to your belongings at the time of the moving. This can make the moving process a nightmare if you are unprepared about the rain.

If you find its raining its better to wait for the rain to over. But it is not always possible because sometimes you have to wait for 24 hours or more for a clear weather and this can escalate your moving cost. So its better not to wait for the rain to be stopped and carry on the moving process in spite of the rain.

The rain water can wreck havoc to your furniture or mattress and other belongings and can destroy them completely. So always be prepared to stop the rain to ruin your valuables. For this you should make an extra plastic cover on the packing and make sure they are rain proof. There are some movers also provide special bags like mattress bags for the packing of mattresses. These bags are completely water proof and can save your mattress from rain. Always make sure that your appliances are kept inside the box and they are safe from the rain. Ask the movers to place resin paper at the truck floor so that the water that entered into the truck must not logged and can drain out easily.  You can also provide the resin paper by yourself if the moving company don’t have.

So always plan the packing of your valuables to be rain proof and save your items being rain drenched.