Plastic Boxes

Thanks to the rising green consumer movement, there are now plastic alternatives to cardboard boxes for moving.

Depending on your location, you may be able to find companies that will rent plastic boxes for your move. Just make sure you plan the timing well because if you don't unpack within the rental period you may be charged again.

You may want to do a hybrid move whereby you order boxes for items that you intend to store, or unpack later, and rent plastic boxes for the stuff you know you'll get to right away.

If the choice is between buying new boxes and renting plastic boxes, the greenest thing to do is definitely to rent. However, ordering used boxes is both green, and gives you the flexibility to keep the boxes as long as you need to. You can then flatten and save the boxes for future moves, gift packaging, storage, etc. or give them away for free.

When chosing a plastic box rental company, if it's one that uses recycled plastic for their boxes and packing materials.