We are in the midst of moving to our farm/acreage next week and I just can't wait! It's chaotic, crazy and exciting all at the same time!
The one problem I personally have when we are moving is leaving everything to the last minute and then panicking and throwing stuff in crappy cardboard boxes (that are usually falling apart) with the whole intent of going through everything and sorting it later (which of course never happens). Have I mentioned Procrastination is my middle name. ;o)
Last month in my attempts to be proactive and not leave everything to the last minute, I went online to find out where I could buy some sturdy cardboard boxes. I wasn't in the mood to start driving all over town collecting boxes from grocery stores and the like for free. I've so been there done that and it's annoying really, not to mention expensive when you factor in your time and the cost of gas etc.
This is our last move for a very long time and I was going to do what ever I could to make it as easy and go as smoothly as possible. Spending hundreds of dollars on plastic storage containers didn't appeal to me either, we're trying to lower our use of plastics as much as possible and I figured the lesser of two evils was cardboard that I could ensure would be recycled.
A quick Google search for "moving boxes Calgary" came up with a myriad of results and an eye opening moment of stupefied awe when I saw the actual cost of buying new cardboard boxes (can we say expensive?!?!) but it was the
Ecoboxes that caught my eye right away. When I read this on the first page:
"How does it work?
You rent our moving boxes, we deliver to your door, you move, we pick-up. Simple."
...I was sold.
Totally completely sold. The fact that it was a local Calgary company who is basing their business practices on being environmentally responsible was even better!
I placed my order for 50
Ecoboxes right there on the website, set the date and time for delivery, paid securely via Paypal and a week later the owner, Adrian Gaska, was at my door at the time I specified that would work best for me.
Free delivery, to my door, on time and with a friendly smile to boot! :D
I was totally impressed already. I had to know more about this company so I fired off an email to Adrian letting him know how happy I was with my decision to rent the
Ecoboxes and asked him if he minded answering a few questions (a la mini interview style) that I could share with our readers. :o)
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SS: How long have you been in business?
AG: I have been in business for 2 years now. This is a Calgary based company. I have done everything on my own. Some people think I am a franchisee. But we are local.
However, Ecobox has begun the franchise process nation wide. We want Canadians to buy into us because we have an efficient and profitable process that we are continually perfecting. We are constantly adapting to make moves easier for our customers. Our customers come first, that is why we have so many referrals, and return customers!
SS: What inspired you to start Ecoboxes?
AG: Many things inspired me. But one of the biggest things was some sort of action towards deforestation. Our trees are truly special. I bike lots and go skiing lots, and realized this was a business for me.
SS: What are the boxes made of?
AG: The boxes are a new plastic because they are custom made just for us. The boxes last on average for 400 uses. Depending on how our customers treat them, they can be used thousands of times. 90% of the plastic can be remade into another Ecobox when their life span is over!
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In the time I have had my
Ecoboxes I have completely fallen in love with them! I am definitely going to have a hard time giving them back. These are not your ordinary run of the mill flimsy plastic storage totes. The
Ecoboxes are strong, sturdy and whether they are full or empty they are super easy to stack and transport. I would love to have some of these for around the farm/acreage!
If you are a procrastinating pack rat like me, the
Ecoboxes stop that bad habit right in it's tracks too. Getting into a panic and tossing stuff in boxes at the very last minute with the intent of going through it later doesn't happen with these. You only have your
Ecoboxes for a limited time and you have to give them back.
I don't know about you, but we have stuff that we've been shuffling around with us one move after another for
years promising ourselves we would sort through it all eventually. Life gets busy, we put it off for another day and years later we are finally forcing ourselves to go through everything because A) it's ridiculous to be carting all this crap around for no reason and B) we're paying for these
Ecoboxes, it only makes sense to fill them with things we actually want to take with us and actually need.
We have 50
good-sized boxes and I'm trying to really only take what will fit in them all. We have so much excess 'stuff' that I can't imagine what we would possibly need that wouldn't fit in these 50 boxes (outside of furniture etc) ya know? The Goodwill and Freecycle are loving me lately, I think! :D
Moving is a time of craziness, packing, purging and often throwing your hands up in the air and going into what I call survival mode, until it is all over. The one thing I always find hard when moving is staying true to my environmentally conscious values. I am always trying but I am certainly far from perfect.
When I am having one of those moments I remind myself this wonderful little video that helps me keep things in perspective and reminds me I don't need all the "stuff" I think I do. If you haven't seen the
Story of Stuff it's a fun video with a great message!
If you are moving anytime soon I strongly encourage you to look outside the box (pun totally intended here! :P) and find ways to complete your move that are more environmentally conscious and support your community at the same time. Maybe you can't afford to pack your entire house in rented boxes, but what about renting what you can afford or simply making sure that what you are using can and will be recycled? It's the little things that add up and every little bit does make a difference.
If you are in the Calgary area I wholeheartedly recommend
Ecoboxes for your move. I have been thrilled with my boxes and the customer service is exceptional! They can be contacted via their website at
Ecobox.ca or by phone at 403-890-8269. They also can be found on
Facebook and
Twitter.
To know that you are supporting a local business while at the same time using boxes that can most likely be used another few hundred times after you are finished and then recycled into brand new boxes is a very good feeling indeed!
Again, they are looking to expand and if I wasn't an aspiring midwife homeschooling 3 young children, moving to an acreage with grandiose plans of creating a fabulous organic farm, I would seriously consider the opportunity to join this franchise because I love what Adrian is doing and how committed he is. But that is just me and my personal opinion. :o) If you are looking for more information regarding
Ecoboxes and their
expansion plans, definitely give Adrian a call. He's a great guy who truly is passionate about his business and I know he will be more than happy to answer all your questions!
What about you? Do you have something like Ecoboxes in your community? How about any eco friendly tips and tricks to share for those of us caught up in the insanity of moving from one home to another? If you do, feel free to let us know!
Better and better,
