Leftover Moving Boxes: They Shall Never Go To Waste

If you’ve just completed your move and have 293845 moving cartons left over just sitting in the corner of your house, this is the article for you. Read on to find out new uses for those extra spare cartons.

Leftover Moving Boxes: They Shall Never Go To Waste

If you are like me and hate wasting items, this repurposing guide is all the rage. Why throw these cartons to the curb when you can actually make them useful?

You know what they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.


Moving Cartons and Repurposing Goals

Repurposing items isn’t just cool in 2024, it's a need. Repurposing items impacts many aspects of our lives. Here are a few reasons why:

The Good Behind The Carton

  • Environmental impact- be green dude! If together we can reduce the amount of waste being sent to our landfills, together we can conserve natural resources. This is important in our world where energy is wasted every day and our globe is overheating.
  • Reduce your environmental footprint. When we repurpose we don’t need to create new ones. This helps us conserve tons of energy and water which are wasted during the production of new items.
  • Art projects and creative juices get flowing! Start getting creative and be proud! The more you can creatively repurpose any items in your house, know that you are contributing to the greater good.
  • Saving money! The more you reuse your current items or turn them into other useful functions, the more you are bound to save on things you would have purchased.

What in the Hell Can I Do With My Leftover Cartons

Get your creative side out and join us with your own ideas! Here are a few of our favorite uses to get you started off:

  • #1 is very obvious, a carton box is the perfect start to any art project! Print out different shapes of your favorite items online, and have your kids trace them onto the cardboard. Once drawn out, have them cut out the shapes. Each and everyone can be colored on and even connected to tell an interesting story. They can be used as room decor for your kid's new room, or even signs to hang on each door to let you know who sleeps where. You can even decorate your pet’s area and hang them on hand-decorated cardboard signs. 
  • Small cartons can be used as actual compost bins. You can throw inside your organic natural waste such as the ends of vegetables, banana peels, coffee grinds, and more and as long as you have it lined with a compost bag liner, you will have fertilizer to use in your new garden. From cartons to beautiful gardens in just a few steps!
  • You can reuse your cartons in your garden inside planters as well to prevent dirt from spilling out from the sides. They can help support weak plants from the roots.
  • Pet beds for street animals. You would be surprised how happy a street cat would be to receive your old carton with a small blanket or old towel inside. Make it cozy for them inside, and have your kids decorate the outside to make it a full-blown project. 
  • DIY kiddy playhouse! Entertain your children for hours upon hours by helping them build their dream fort out of cartons. With some cutouts for windows and by attaching the cartons together to create height you can create a pretty awesome fort!
  • Another great and obvious way to reuse your cartons is for their first and actual purpose, as shipping boxes. If you need to send any packages, you can reuse the cartons from your move. Don’t forget to make it very clear the address of the package if there are other labels on the box so no one gets confused.
  • Baby’s favorite toy! No matter how many awesome toys you’ll buy your baby or toddler, they will always think the packaging is cooler. Let them play around with a box once you have verified it is safe.
  • Give them away to another family moving. Post on your local forums to see if anyone in your area needs boxes. This way they can save money and you both can help the environment.

Closing the Box and the Article

It doesn’t take a genius to repurpose a carton. There are endless ways to reuse this item with a little imagination, together we can stop waste. At the end of the day, it’s up to you how you choose to do your part in being a part of the solution. Moving does require many nonsustainable items, try to be mindful of your usage of them.


FAQ

Book your mover with iMoving to know you aren’t falling for a scammer and start packing early! To really streamline the process, have all hands on deck and plan your packing schedule as a family.

Start the day of the move early in the morning, and try to be partially unpacked (at least the basics) by the afternoon.

Moving really does tend to require lots of tape, cartons, and bubble wrap, but this doesn't have to be an environmental nightmare.

Where you can, replace bubble wrap with towels and sheets. Replace tape with ties (but not too much), and see how you can repurpose all these items later on.

Have them start art projects to hang up on the fridge in their new home. Have them create door signs for each room of the house and a map to show where all the rooms are. Get creative with your kids so they can feel they are a helpful part.

Get prepared, plan ahead, take deep breaths, and book on iMoving to know you have trusted professionals standing behind your decisions.

Moving is a profession, we have been at this for 30 years. Let us share our knowledge to save you the stress.

Start with the heaviest items in the bottom of the box. You want to pack the bulky items first. Don’t overpack any box as cartons are not the strongest and can rip.

Double-tap the bottom side closed if you are planning to pack an extra heavy box. Close it off and label each side with the name of the room it came from along with the general contents.


Rachel Kaplan

Rachel has spent the last few years writing for moving companies while actually moving across the globe. After many years of moving between many states in the US, she moved abroad to try the remote work life. She’s a pro at moving all her things with her dog and hundreds of plants. Thankfully she’s a minimalist so moves aren’t too much of an issue.

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