When you are thinking of moving home, one of the concerns which face many people in the modern age is wanting to make sure that you are taking an environmentally sound approach to the process of moving home. With so much to get moved, making sure that you are doing your utmost to focus on the environmental factors at play can dramatically lower the ecological impact of your move and can make sure that you are doing your most for the planet’s future. In this regard, one of the most important things to focus on is the packing materials which you might use and making sure that you have the best materials available to move while caring for the environment. So if you are thinking of moving, which packing and box materials are the most environmentally friendly? For those who are thinking of the environment, there are two main choices when it comes to packing materials. These are plastic boxes and cardboard boxes. Outside of ecological matters, plastic boxes are likely to cost more while cardboard boxes can often be sourced for free. Plastic boxes can offer a sturdier and waterproof option for moving home while cardboard boxes mean that the items inside are at a greater risk from conditions such as rain and water. While these may be important factors in the decision which you make, those who are focused on the environmental impact of the move will often look to different factors when making a final decision. For those who are thinking of using cardboard boxes, there is a good chance that you will be able to use boxes which have been used before. By choosing to use second hand options rather than purchasing brand new ones, you can cut the carbon footprint of the packing materials by half and further reduce it by passing the boxes onto another person. Cardboard is often a recyclable material, which means that even if you are not able to find someone who wants to use the boxes after you have used them, then you will be able to dispose of them in an ecologically sound manner. If you have opted to use plastic boxes in your move then it is likely that you will be able to use these boxes for far more than just moving home. The best plastic boxes can have a use beyond the moving process, being used to store items around the home in a fashion which is reliable and easy to stack. This means that you are getting far more use out of them than you might otherwise have gotten. Reusing items is a great way in which you can make sure that you are getting the most out of anything you purchase, but because you are not throwing them away, then you will have less to worry about when examining the ecological impact of the moving process. If you are thinking of the environment, then the long term usefulness of the plastic options means that they can be the better choice. For many people who are moving home, the environmental impact of their choice of packing materials will likely depend on what they plan on doing with the items after the move. If you are thinking of a long term solution and one which you might wish to use in the future, then the plastic boxes offer the better choice. For those who are only thinking of the move ahead, however, or are using second hand materials then it can often turn out that the cardboard boxes offer the very best option for you.