We are about to move house, for the second time this year (not because we love moving, the first time was because the landlord was selling up and this time it is because we have noisy neighbour problems and want to be in a generally quieter area of town), and it’s not an easy process but we try and stay green whilst we’re doing it. Here are some of my tips, some of them are probably obvious but it’s very easy to lose your head when you’re packing boxes and boxes and boxes…

Freecycle and equivalents are your friends at this time. I like to give my stuff to charity shops but there are some things they won’t take/aren’t good enough. We’ve just given away a load of telephone extension leads. Freecycle is also good for finding packing boxes - and giving them away again.

If you want to sell your stuff, there are lots of different online options. In Edinburgh we have a good livejournal community, plus something called Cheapcycle for selling goods under £200. I’ve also tried Gumtree and the marketplace on Facebook.

Got stuff that someone may be able to use creatively? See if there is a local scrapstore who might make good use of large pieces of cardboard, fabric scraps, all sorts of odd stuff as well. Call them up and see if they are interested.

Books? I’ve used GreenMetropolis to sell a couple of my books. I’ve had most success with less popular books than any bestsellers but it’s a good way to make a few quid and help a fellow booklover.

You may find that there’s a guide to recycling/charity shops in your area. Our local one is Too Good To Waste, produced by Changeworks. You can ensure your unwanted goods go to someone who can use them or will be disposed of responsibly.

For boxes (if you don’t want to pay for them from your removal firm), try your local shops or keep an eye out in the office. Not all supermarkets have cardboard boxes though, I once asked in a Tesco in Sheffield and was told all goods arrived in plastic crates. In Sainsburys I was told to basically keep an eye out as I was shopping and ask any staff member unpacking a box if I could have it, and Waitrose seem to prefer you to call ahead, and even then we only got small wine boxes.

If you are moving soon, the best of luck to you!