In “The Green Office Move,” David King, president of Samson Carts and CrateXpress, discusses the ecological impact of moving to a new office or home.
King says 85,000 wooden carts are bought each year by movers; translating to a loss of more than 8,600 trees per year. This subsequently adds about 3,000 tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually.
In addition, King cites EPA figures which estimates that cardboard boxes constitute a majority of municipal solid waste. About 30 tons of cardboard waste was generated in 2000, or 13 percent of the nation’s municipal solid waste.
King recommends movers use sustainable plastic carts and lightweight plastic boxes that reduce waste and are recyclable. In addition, King says the manufacture of these products is energy efficient and emits significantly less airborne pollutants than the manufacture of the laminated plywood carts.