While moving can bring great excitement, the actual packing process might not be looked forward to as much. One of the first thoughts when starting a move is trying to find cardboard boxes. A downfall to all of the boxes being used is they likely will not be used again, which might make you want to find something that is a little more environmentally friendly. This is where finding alternatives to cardboard boxes comes into play. Express Moving Phoenix says more companies and people in general are drifting towards more Eco-friendly and sometimes cheaper alternatives to traditional packaging. From biodegradable to recyclable, the Eco-friendly packaging options are plentiful.

Alternatives to Cardboard Boxes

1. Corrugated Bubble Wrap

As great as those bubble wraps, used in wrapping fragile items, we all loved as kids are, they’re made of plastic. Which means, when they’re no longer useful, they end up clogging landfills and adding to the world’s growing waste. This corrugated version is the result of recycled cardboard made from post industrial and post consumer waste.

This up-cycled corrugated bubble wrap is biodegradable and can still be recycled. It has a concertina-type of incision/holes made which works just as well as bubble wrap to protect fragile goods. Only downside, sadly, is that there are no bubbles to pop.

2. Biodegradable Packaging Peanuts

These are loose fillings that help protect sensitive goods against shock resulting from constant movement. They’re entirely biodegradable and tiny, and are often referred to as air peanuts. With some states like New York banning non-degradable materials like styrofoam, often used as loose fillings or in making takeaway cartons, biodegradable air peanuts are now the next best thing for businesses moving to Eco-friendly packaging that won’t attract fines.

3. Cornstarch Packages

Like the name implies, are packages made from maize. It has plastic-like properties which makes it suitable instead of going with plastics. Because it has to be molded into whatever form is needed, from bottles to loose fillings, cornstarch packaging makes a better and just as useful packaging as plastics. The downside of this packaging is that humans eat corn, so this packaging option is essentially competing with people for their food – thus raising the prices of corn.

4. Seaweed Packages

Are similar to cornstarch in that they’re traditionally used in the food industry – in making gelatin. Now some designers have made prototypes of this packaging, by way of converting the gelatinous part of seaweed to packaging material – which can be made into any packaging shape needed. It isn’t as common yet, but could very well be the next big thing in eco-friendly packaging.

5. Mushroom Packages

Believe it or not, certain parts of mushrooms can be used in making packages. Unlike the controversy with cornstarch and seaweed packages, mushroom packages are made from ground and cleaned agricultural waste which has been fused together by inedible mushroom roots. So mushroom prices remain largely unchanged because humans and packaging aren’t competing for the same resource.

While cost used to be a concern with Eco-friendly materials, many of the costs have dropped in recent years. This helps make the move easier for those who want to be more green. While this lists includes alternatives to cardboard boxes, there are many other ways to make the switch to environmentally friendly materials.

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