Have you considered how to make your move as sustainable as possible?
Every year, 2.4% of the world’s carbon emissions come from aeroplane travel, while 3% comes from sea freight.
Additionally, the removalist industry is responsible for plastic waste from packing materials like tape and wrapping plastics, not to mention the trees cut down for cardboard boxes.
The good news is even though you need to fly to Australia and perhaps you need to ship some sentimental items, there are ways to minimise your impact when you move and start new eco-friendly habits in your new home country.
But first, let’s briefly discuss carbon footprint.
What is a carbon footprint?
Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by an individual or organisation in a year.
Your move creates a carbon footprint. It considers the production and use of energy, transportation, waste management practices, and other activities that involve burning fossil fuels.
By reducing your carbon footprint when you relocate, you are helping to reduce the impact on our environment.
How do you move to Australia sustainably?
- Donate any unwanted furniture or clothing; this way, other people can benefit from them and will help cut down on landfills.
- Seek a removalist with biodegradable packing materials; it’ll reduce the amount of non-biodegradable waste generated by your move.
- Buy used items once you get to Australia—it’s an excellent carbon footprint reducer!
- Invest in energy-efficient appliances like lightbulbs or washing machines (even second-hand!) once settled into your new home in Australia.
- Reuse any containers or bottles that may otherwise end up in landfills – or better yet, repurpose them! Get in the right habit from the start.
- Check with your local council to see what recycling services are available so that everything that can be recycled gets recycled!
In Australia, plastic recycling is an integral part of many households’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and help protect the environment. According to research from the ABS and Clean Up Australia, more than 55% of all plastics used by Australians are recycled.
Your move is the ideal time to start with new habits, here are some tips.
- Start a compost bin. This is an easy way to create soil fertiliser without contributing extra waste to landfills! You can put many things in your compost bin, including kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds and tea leaves, eggshells and shells from nuts.
- Drive less. When settling into your new home country, it’s important to remember that one of the most significant contributors to global warming is car emissions – so try driving less (or using public transportation) where possible! This will also save money on gas costs while also protecting our planet!
- Plant. Yes, even in a rental, there is no reason why you can’t have pot plants that can move with you later. Why not plant some herbs, tomatoes or lettuce -staples you will eat? These steps all play a vital role in keeping the environment healthy and clean. They take in carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air, process it into oxygen through photosynthesis, and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. This helps to reduce air pollution, keeping our air breathable and healthy.
How does Personnel Relocations help reduce your carbon footprint?
We love the planet and know that every step each person takes will have an impact. Therefore, our consultants live in the areas that they welcome new arrivals into. This results in less driving during the house-hunting process. Less driving, less emissions.
While we are talking about driving, you may not need a hired car, and if you do, there will be less driving arriving in the suburbs with our help! Rather than you hiring a car and driving around endlessly trying to shortlist suburbs and reach rental inspections, we will do all this for you. Even better for the planet.
Also, by securing a rental in advance of your arrival, you won’t be eating out or ordering takeaways in polystyrene containers with an uber driver who needs to drive it to you!
Lastly, we donate to the WWF for their Trees for Koalas for every corporate relocation.
Why this charity? For each relocation, it is a natural fit to replenish the environment and support our Aussie icon.
The koalas’ habitat and food supply are diminishing, so our donation helps:
- protect existing koala habitats from deforestation
- conduct research into the health, behaviour and population dynamics of wild koala populations
- participate in reintroduction projects to bolster dwindling numbers of koalas.
Making it simple
Sustainable relocation is an essential part of creating a more eco-friendly society. However, it doesn’t have to be complicated either; follow these simple steps – donate furniture and clothing before moving, choose an eco-friendly removalist service and buy used goods upon arrival – and you too can make sure that your move has minimal environmental impact!
Your move to Australia is a new slate, a new start, and a good time for green habits. It is a great time to get children involved too! With all these tips combined – everyone can do their part in helping keep our planet healthy and green!
Thank you in advance for making your difference count.
