Dealing with Your Books While Moving

Book collection is something you may be very proud of; but not when you are moving. Moving entire collection is not only difficult but it can turn out to be an unwise idea. You are going to need more boxes to pack the books, extra labor to move the boxes and, in the end, extra money to pay to the movers. And if you are moving to another state, you are going to find moving the boxes an even more difficult thing to do.

Well, the solution is that you should go with the books that you absolutely want to take with you. Don’t get into the pride of maintaining a huge collection of books when you are moving. First thing that you are going to need to do is to separate the books that you don’t want to move from the ones that you absolutely want to move. This selection process should help you get rid of a huge bulk.

Now, we are going to discuss how you can deal with the books while moving.

Give away

One thing worth mentioning here is that the books being unwanted doesn’t mean they are not valuable. It just means that you are done reading those books and now you do not find any charm while reading those books again. Therefore, you can let others have that charm. Thus, you can give those books away to your friends and family.

Sell your books

If you have a huge collection, you must have a lot of books in good condition. Now, you may not want to keep them because you already have read those books. The books in good condition can actually help you cover a part of moving expense as you can sell those books. There are a lot of ways you can sell those books. Some of those ways include garage sale, online selling, half priced books, Facebook book clubs, and independent bookstores.

Donating the books

There are going to be many people out there willing to read a book but they do not have money to afford one. If you are willing to get rid of your books anyway, you can instead give those book away to those have not’s. Places where you can donate those books may include local schools, libraries, prisons, nursing homes and charitable organizations.

Recycle the books

Throwing your books away or simply putting them in the general recycling units is not a good idea. The book recycling is a specific process because the glue and bindings of the books do not make them good candidates for general recycling. You can take your torn up and old books to the book recycling units and ask them if they have anything to do with your books.

Five Essential Packing Materials for Moving

As many of you already know, moving can be a hectic event. Packing your entire life and moving to anew location is a life changing experience. If you are moving across town or across the world, there are some important packing items that you will need to have before your move. These items can help the moving process go much smoother and take the stress away. Below you will find five must have packing items that will help you with your next big move.

Five Must Have Moving Items

1.  Durable boxes: The first thing you will need before your move are boxes, but not just any boxes will do. Make sure the boxes you choose are designed for moving and are thick enough to handle the stress of moving. Also, make sure that you pick a wide range of sizes to handle all of your moving needs.

2. Marker pens: Another item that will come in handy during your move are marker pens. These permanent pens will allow you to label each box with what is inside as well as where the box should be placed. This will help movers place the boxes in the right rooms making unpacking much easier. Markers can also be used to label fragile items such as dishes, keepsakes and other items that are breakable. This will help you protect these easily damage items and allow them to be delivered safely.

3. Bubble wrap: A great way to further protect your breakables is to make sure that you purchase some bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is very durable and will give you enough cushion to protect fragile items while they are in transit. Picture frames, mirrors, cups, and other easily damaged items should be properly wrapped and taped to protect them during the move. Even if these items shift during travel they should be safe and in one piece when they arrive. Bubble wrap can be purchased by the roll and is an affordable way to protect your belongings.

4. Packing peanuts: Just like bubble wrap, packing peanuts can be used to protect your items. Packing peanuts when added to a box will give plenty of cushions and protect whatever is inside. This packing material is safe for the environment and can even be reused for other applications after your move. Packing peanuts can be purchased in large quantities which will save you money.

5. Strong packing tape: In order to secure your boxes, you will need to purchase several rolls of strong packing tape. Use the tape to reinforce the boxes on the bottom as well as the top. This will help seal your items inside and prevent them from coming out during the move. Make sure that when you are shopping for a tape to ask for packing tape which is often much stronger than other types. You may also want to pick up a tape dispenser to make the job of sealing boxes much easier.

Now that you know what items you will need, make sure you purchase them before you move. This will help make moving day go much easier and all of your items will be safe while on the road to your new location. Remember that being prepared for your move will take much of the stress away. Also, getting some help from friends and family can really take a load off. 

Invisible Packaging to Reduce Waste

Did you know that your packaging doesn’t even need to be seen anymore? One way a lot of brands are stepping forward and making their packaging even more eco friendly, is through invisible packaging. This utilizes dissolvable or water-soluble materials such as paper and plant-based films, which are able to break down naturally when exposed to water.

Right now, this is a new type of packaging, but we’ll probably see more of this over a period of time.   Dive into the world of invisible packaging here and see if it’s right for you. 

Elements of Water-Soluble Packaging 

Water-soluble packaging is using plant-based types of films for the items that are being broken down. This includes polyvinyl alcohol, which is a natural element that dissolves in water, and it leaves no residue.

Right now, you see this in other industries besides food and drink. A common one is household cleaners. Have you ever seen those laundry pods that break down over time, or after a cycle? That’s one example. Another one, is the dishwashing pods, where after you run a cycle, the pods are gone, leaving nothing but clean dishes behind.

Water-soluble and invisible packaging leaves very little residue.   While there are some food service industries using this, so far they are mostly seen in cleaning and agricultural products.

The main premise behind this is simple: you’re creating a packaging that’s dissolvable by water, and leaves nothing behind, while also maintaining the environmental standards to ensure the integrity of the products at hand.

A changing Industry 

The water-soluble packaging is actually something that a lot of people want, and it’s predicted to have a huge impact on packaging within the next 10 years, projecting a 4% growing profit that’s a billion dollars or more.

It’s popular because it’s easy to dispose of. People want something they don't have to perform complex activities in order to make sure that the products are disposed of.   This is so easy, that you even see this with fertilizer too, making it easier for us to even grow food.

More an more consumers are aware of environmental issues, and even the government is putting a hold on waste. Water-soluble packaging is the main standard, because it uses compostable materials, and is seen to have a huge growth as demand for eco friendly packaging grows even further with this market. 

The Challenges of Water-Soluble Packaging 

While it’s a great and growing form of packaging, there are some major challenges that are hard for people to actually see.

The first, is the costs. Production costs for this are huge, and it can be too much for smaller industries. 

The other thing is the materials and the machinery are not as readily available.   This is because it’s a new technology. Like a lot of the new technologies that are out there, you only have so much to work with.

There is also the concerns of the durability of the items, along with the compatibility and waste management. Again, this is due to it being a new technology.

However, new materials are being used, such as proteins and polysaccharides that are being made to form this type of packaging. There is also an acceptance of water-soluble packaging within the agriculture and the cosmetics world, which is of course, a very wasteful industry.

We’ll probably be seeing more of this kind of thing soon. With Coca-Cola, Nestle, and even PepsiCo looking for new ways to reduce their eco footprint, they’ll learn to adopt this, and hopefully we’ll see them along with startups offering more innovative and sustainable alternatives to the current packaging incentives.