The Sustainable Student – Moving Out

For those who moved away to study in those hazy days of autumn, summer means one thing: packing….again. To ease the stress, here’s some ways you can lessen the load on yourself and the planet.

• Declutter: First, is there anything you have with you that you haven’t used or forgot you bought? If you haven’t used it in the last academic year it is unlikely you’ll desperately need it again next year or for wherever you are moving onto next. Can you donate, swap with friends or even just mark to leave at home next year? If it’s still in good condition, there is no need to throw out these items, see if there is a donation bank or charity shop nearby so they can have a second home.
• Recycle: Similarly, things you can’t use again don’t have to be sentenced to the bin, but recycled either as household recycling or at specialist dropping points, such as at supermarkets. Recycling any packaging or items you no longer use also reduces the amount you need to take home, so see if there are any facilities near to your place of study for easier packing.
• Efficient packing: Whatever bags, suitcases or boxes you have, try to pack as efficiently as possible to minimise the number of journeys needed to transport your stuff home. While it might be that public transport is not an option while moving out, you can still minimise your environmental impact by reducing the amount of car journeys necessary and driving in an ecosafe way. I mean, it all fitted in September, right? 🤔
• Reuse: If still around, try to reuse existing bags and boxes for packing, such as those your items came in when you moved in. Keeping recent boxes from deliveries leading up to the move can be useful as a way to reuse packaging.

Moving out can be an emotional and stressful time, but by taking steps to reduce waste and understand what you actually use, you can ease the pressure of future packing and reduce your impact by taking care of what you have. To students everywhere, I wish you a safe and stress-free move…… Can’t wait to repeat it all in the autumn! 😅