Moving and unpacking your worldly possessions into your new home is the hard part, and you probably feel that getting rid of all of those empty moving boxes afterwards should be relatively straightforward. But if they're in good condition and you don't want to just chuck them away, it might be hard to know what to do with all those storage containers you've accumulated, especially if you're a First Time Buyer and have never encountered this problem before.
Here is a list of suggestions to help you put your well-used moving boxes to good use.
Return them
If your packing materials were provided by your moving company, you'll often find they're happy to take them back once the move is complete. Depending on the condition they'll either recycle or reuse them.
Freecycle
This global network of people ‘giving away stuff for free in their own towns’ is a great way of keeping re-usable items out of landfill. If your moving boxes can still be used again for storage or for another house move then it may be a good idea to promote your boxes to your local member group.
Green bin
If your moving boxes are recyclable you could simply pack them flat to be taken with the recycling bins. If you have too many to be stood outside your house then you could always drive them to your nearest refuse site and drop them off in the ‘green’ bins where advertised.
Donate
Do you know of friends or other family members who are preparing a house or flat move? If your moving boxes are still in good condition you could donate them to your loved ones to help them on their way. If you're not sure if anyone needs them, you could always post on social media and ask friends and family to share it. If no one says they need them within a week, simply recycle them.
Re-sell
If your moving boxes are still in excellent condition and you paid good money to use them as storage on your own moving day you may wish to try and sell them on to another good home. This is an especially good idea if you opted for reusable plastic crates instead of disposable cardboard ones. Newspaper classifieds and noticeboards in local shops are great places to advertise your boxes.
Got any more ideas on what to do with your unwanted boxes? Let us know in the comments below!
Updated March 2020