After moving into your new home, you are quickly faced with the question of what to do with the large amount of moving materials you used during the transportation process. Knowing which items can be recycled and which ones should be discarded can help get rid of those piles of moving materials quicker, so you can enjoy every square inch of your new home.
Items to Recycle:
- Cardboard Boxes – Remove all items from inside of the cardboard box and break it down. There isn’t a need to remove tape or stickers before recycling, but if a substance has leaked onto the cardboard, be sure to remove that section before placing it in recycling.
- Packing Paper – There are a multitude of ways to reuse the packing paper that filled your moving boxes around your home, but if you have run out of ideas, it is completely safe to recycle. Since simple packing paper is free of lamination and glitter-coating, it is safe to place in your recycling bin.
- Bubble Wrap/Air Pillows/Stretch Plastic Wrap – These items can be recycled; however, they are usually not included in curbside recycling pick up. Most grocery stores offer a drop box for these types of plastic items. Air pillows should be deflated before dropping off for recycling.
Items to Discard:
- Packing Popcorn/Packing Peanuts – Traditionally made of Styrofoam, these items are best to discard in the trash since they are unable to be recycled.
- Wet Cardboard Boxes – When cardboard boxes get wet, it weakens the fibers and makes the recycling process harder. For those cardboard boxes that got too damaged in the move, it would be best to reuse them for projects around your home, use them in a compost pile, or discard in the trash.
Questions about what items can be picked up curbside or where to recycle special items can be answered on Anne Arundel County’s website and Queen Anne’s County’s website. Earth911 is another great resource to consult when deciding whether to recycle or discard a particular item.
Between curbside pickup and other drop-off collection centers, it is easy and simple to recycle unwanted moving boxes, packing paper, and bubble wrap. Take advantage of these recycling options after your next move!
