Making Environmental Choice

When You Move 

g , 

Moving In 
Whether you are downsizing 

a large home you’ve lived in 

whole life to a smaller cond

or moving to a different cit

can be stressful, time-consuming, and expens

can have a great impact on the environment. 

away old items and buying new ones can gen

lot of trash and waste natural resources and e

Although throwing away all the old, unwante

you have accumulated over the years might s

easier, there are safer, more environmentally 

ways to get rid of these items. By taking a few 

steps, you can save money, help others, and h

positive impact on the environment. 

This guide suggests environmentally safe alter

to throwing away unwanted “junk” and show

to purchase new items with the environment i
As you sort through your belongings and decide what you don

want to take with you, you will most likely run across items tha

been stored in your home for some time—old toys, clothing, an

scrap wood, old tires, gardening equipment, automotive suppli

and other household items. Take a moment to separate those i

into defined groups based on how you plan to dispose of them

For example, one group might be items that are in working ord

and can be reused by someone else; another group might be th

that can be recycled in your community; and a third group of it

might require special disposal, such as large bulky items or haza

chemicals. See the following sections on how to identify items f

reuse, recycling, and special disposal. 

Reuse When you move, many items in your home can be

reused either by you or someone else. Friends, fam

or local charities might be interested in the items you no lon

want. Charitable donations are often tax-deductible. Options 

reuse include: 

■ Donating books to your local school, library, or commun

■ Donating furniture and other household goods to local c

■ Holding a yard sale so others can purchase and reuse yo

belongings, such as old toys, tools, or household supplie

■ Cleaning and selling unwanted antiques to a resale or a

shop or having an antiques dealer come to your home 

■ Donating large items, such as computers or cars, to local 

■ Donating food items to food banks or local shelters 

■ Reusing packing material, such as bubblewrap, bags, and 
Recycle 

Many of the items you clean out from your ho

be recyclable in your community curbside or d

recycling program. To determine what materia

can recycle, contact your local solid waste or 

environmental agency. Common recyclables in

■ Newspapers ■ Plastic bottles and 

■ Mixed paper or white paper ■ Steel cans 

■ Aluminum cans ■ Cardboard 

Some items might be collected for recycling at other locations ne

for example: 

■ Plastic grocery bags are often collected for 

at local grocery stores 

■ Used computers, cell phones, and other ele

are often collected for recycling at electron

school vocational programs, or by municipa

governments 

■ Bulky items, such as refrigerators and sofas

often be picked up by your municipality wi

a special request 
and Disposal 

You might own some common household 

products, such as cleaners, paints, and pest

that are hazardous to the environment and 

health if disposed of improperly. These item

contain substances that are toxic, ignitable

rosive, or reactive and could pose health an

environmental risks if disposed of in your 

regular household garbage. Many communities offer special dr

off sites or periodic collection days for safe recycling or disposa

these products. Common examples include: 

■ Used motor oils 

■ Antifreeze 

■ Old car batteries 

■ Pesticides 

■ Leftover paints, stains, and varnishes 

■ Art and photographic supplies 

■ Cleaning supplies 

Although some communities do not require you 

to separate these items from your regular trash, 

it is important to safely dispose of them. Check 

with your local solid waste agency to find out 

about safe management or disposal options in 

your community. 
Automotive and Building Supplies

You might have a basement or garage full of items 

that you won’t need in your new home, such as 

scrap wood, carpet, drywall, and car parts. 

Although throwing these items 

away may be easier, it is 

important to consider alternate meth

get rid of them. There are numerous o

to recycle or reuse these items. Some local 

cling programs or special collection locations accept cons

tion debris, automotive parts, and used tires. In addition, 

community organizations (e.g., Habitat for Humanity) acce

can reuse these types of materials if they are in good con

Bulky Equipment


In your new home, you may no longer need to own large eq

such as lawnmowers and chainsaws. Because these items 

contain oil or gas, throwing them away could be harmful to 

environment. In addition, this equipment might have been s

for quite some time and could be old a

Taking the time to clean these items a

find a proper way to get rid of them is 

the environment. Local environmental 

across the country have set up progra

homeowners to trade in their old gaso

powered lawnmowers and electric equ

Contact your local solid waste or envir

agency to inquire about these program
As you are settling into your new home, you 

may realize that there are some new items 

you need. When purchasing items to stock 

your new home, take the time to consider 

whether you really need to buy everything 

brand new, and whether you need to purchase certain items at all. When you do go 

shopping, you can help protect the environment by selecting products that have a minimal impact on the environment, including 

those with reduced packaging or recycled 

content and those with less toxic ingredients. 

Reduce You can reduce the amount of waste you 

generate in the long run by carefully 

considering what you buy and how you use items around


your home. When deciding what items you might need for


your new home, consider whether you can rent, borrow, or


share items with family, friends, and neigh­


bors instead of purchasing them. Also consid­


er options for buying durable and reusable


products rather than disposable ones or


products that contain minimal packaging,


such as concentrated items or items in bulk.

■ Purchasing and using cloth napkins and towels instead 

of disposable ones 

■ Forgoing disposable utensils and instead using sturdy, 

washable ones for large gatherings 

■ Buying products in bulk, in concentrate, or in refillable 

containers 

■ Using rechargeable batteries 

■ Using cloth grocery bags instead of paper or plastic 

■ Avoiding products with excessive packaging material 

■ Sharing newspapers and magazines with friends and 

family 

■ Renting or borrowing large items such as tools, ladders

and rug cleaners 

■ Performing routine maintenance on large appliances to 

extend their usable life 

■ Purchasing low-energy fluorescent light bulbs that last 

longer 

■ Purchasing ENERGY STAR® products—such as appliance

that provide superior energy efficiency 

Environmentally frien

products include those 

that contain recycled 

Buy Environmentally 

Friendly Products 

materials as well as less toxic alternatives. By buying produ

containing recycled materials, you are helping to “close th

recycling loop,” which means you are supporting the prod

and markets that use the materials others have recycled. 
content materials include: 

■ Paper products (notepads, tissues, paper 

towels, computer paper) 

■ Plastic products (fleece jackets, landscape 

materials, trash bags) 

■ Personal products (t-shirts, brushes) 

■ Home products (carpet, trash bags, storage 

bins, furniture, appliances) 

■ Home repair products (recycled-content siding, 

recycled-content asphalt/felt or aluminum roofing 

shingles, wallboard, ceiling tiles, doors) 

■ Lawn and garden materials (bird feeders, landscape timbers

planters, garden hoses) 

■ Automotive products (car parts, ice scrapers, oil pans) 

You can reduce the amount of household hazardous waste 

you generate by using less toxic alternatives in your home. 

Such alternatives include: 

■ Natural pesticides or alternative products that achieve 

the same results 

■ Natural or less toxic cleaning products such as 

citrus-based cleaners 

■ Non-toxic inks and art supplies for children 

■ Natural alternatives to mothballs 

■ Natural alternatives to pet products such as 

flea and tick remedies 

■ Pump spray personal products instead 

of aerosol 
Donation 

■ America’s Car Donation Charities Center – 

www.donateacar.com 

Contains information and links to car donation re

Recycling and Reuse 

■ Appliance Recycling Centers of America – 

www.arcainc.com

Contains information and statistics on appliance 

■ Association of Home Appliance Manufact

www.aham.org/aric/aric.cfm#information

Contains information on appliance recycling. 

■ Earth 911 – www.earth911.org or 1-800-Cleanu

Useful resource containing information on enviro

issues, along with information on community rec

and reuse. 

■ Electronic Industries Alliance – www.eiae.o

The Consumer Education Initiative provides infor

on national and local recycling and reuse program

■ EPA Recycling Publications – 

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/recpubs.

■ National Recycling Coalition’s Resources 

for Recyclers – 

www.nrc-recycle.org/resources/resources.htm
p

Conservation, Waste Reduction and Recycling 

Program – www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dshm/redrecy

Contains information and publications on a wide variety 

of solid waste topics. 

■ Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – 

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/reduce.htm

EPA Web site dedicated to providing information on ho

to produce less waste by practicing the 3 Rs. 

■ Resource Conservation Challenge – Plug-In To 

eCycling – www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/plugin/index.ht

Provides information on opportunities to reuse and recy

old computers, televisions, and cell phones. Web site 

includes links to collections events. 

■ The Consumer’s Handbook for Reducing 

Solid Waste – www.epa.gov/epaoswer/ 

non-hw/reduce/catbook.htm 

Buying Recycled Products 

■ Center for Resourceful Building Technology – 

www.crbt.org 

Dedicated to promoting environmentally responsible 

construction practices, contains information on recycled

content building products and environmental building 

technologies. 

■ EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing 

Program – www.epa.gov/oppt/epp 

Includes a database of environmental information for 

products and services. Contains information on househo

items that can be purchased. 
United States Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (5305W) Washington, DC 20460 EPA-530-K-04-002 February 2004