After a move, it’s not uncommon for people to end up with dozens or hundreds of cardboard moving boxes. Think that sounds outrageous? You might be surprised to find that it takes 10-20 boxes to pack up a modest studio apartment. A 4-bedroom house, on the other hand, requires more than 100 boxes. So, after you’ve unpacked all the dishes, relined the bookshelves with your stacks of books, and unloaded all the bed linens, what are you to do with all the cardboard boxes? Here are some responsible ideas for disposing of them:
1. Use them for Storage and Organization
Even though you probably don’t want to keep all your cardboard boxes after moving, you may want to keep a few of them on hand. Choose the best-quality boxes, and consider hanging onto them for things like storing out-of-season clothing, seasonal decorations, and other items. You may also want to hang onto expensive specialty boxes, like those used to pack TVs and glassware, if you plan to move again soon.
2. Give Them Away
Another good option for getting rid of your cardboard boxes after relocating is to give them away. When you were first trying to gather up boxes to pack up your belongings for your move, you might have had a hard time locating all the boxes that you needed. Now that your move is over, you can use the boxes that you have to help someone else out. If you know someone who is planning on moving, you may want to consider asking them if they would like to have your boxes. If you don’t know anyone who might be interested, you can advertise them for free on a Facebook yard sale group, Craigslist, NextDoor or another similar site. Letting someone take the cardboard boxes off your hands, might help that person save a little bit of time, trouble and money in the process.
3. Recycle Them
If you can’t find anyone to take your cardboard boxes, you could always consider recycling them instead. If you have just moved to a new place, you may have to do a little bit of research to figure out where to take your boxes. However, your community should have a recycling center where you can drop-off your clean cardboard boxes.
In Austin, you can break down your cardboard boxes and place them in the blue recycling bin provided by the city. Just set outside on your scheduled collection day. If you have stacks upon stacks of boxes that won’t fit in your bin, you can drop them off at the City of Austin Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center (2514 Business Center Dr, Austin, TX 78744, 512-974-4343). If the center deems your items reusable, they will send them to the ReUse Store for other Austinites to pick-up free of charge.
4. Let the Kids Build a Fort
Your leftover boxes can provide some cheap entertainment for the kids. Let them design their own fort city, castle, or cozy playhouse by taping together assorted boxes. They can even get fancy by painting the outside or adding splashes of color with construction paper or colored masking tape. See here for some adorable cardboard fort ideas.
5. Unleash Your Own Creativity
Repurposing cardboard boxes isn’t just for kids; you can use them for all kinds of craft projects to spruce up your new home. Check out these incredible uses for leftover cardboard boxes. Our favorites include the decoupaged cardboard trays, Christmas stars and trees, and recycled cardboard vase.
As you can see, if you find yourself with a lot of extra cardboard boxes after going through the moving process, you do have plenty of ways to use them or dispose of them. Now, you can finish unpacking and declutter your new home. For help with packing or unpacking, give Austin’s most trusted moving service a call. Apple’s professional movers and packers can even hook you up with inexpensive boxes for your upcoming move!
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