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Share these tips and tricks to reduce waste (and stress) with residents when they move out of an old home and into a new one.
 Moving out
Giving yourself enough time to sort through your things before you move will keep you from feeling overwhelmed and allow you to find the best reuse, recycling and safe disposal options for things you decide to get rid of.
Follow these steps while packing to reduce waste now and prevent unneeded purchases and stress when you get to your new home.
Reuse boxes and packing materials
Save money and reduce waste by sourcing boxes and packing materials from your community. Post on digital community bulletin boards (such as Next Door and Facebook groups) to ask your neighbors if anyone has boxes and packing materials to give away. Check those same places for posts from people already looking to give away materials.
Other great places to access free sturdy boxes are grocery and liquor stores or by saving them when you receive packages in the mail.
Pack an “open first” box
Pack a box that you will keep with you the first day of your move. Clearly label it as “open first” and don’t pack it into a moving truck if you are using one.
Put in the box anything you will need quickly upon arriving at your new home. This could include scissors or a box opener, your inventory of what is in each box, dishes and cutlery for each person in your household, easy-to-prep food for a meal or two, toilet paper, dish soap and sponge, hand soap, hand towel, shower curtain, bedding, necessary toiletries, and medicines that are needed daily.
Having these necessities available will make unpacking easier and help you avoid buying new versions of things you already own.
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Labeling and inventorying while you pack
Label boxes by the room the items will go in at your new home. For instance, if you are packing things for your new living room, label the box “living room.” Label the box on all sides except the bottom and cross off any pre-existing labels from past moves when reusing boxes to avoid confusion.
Write the content of each box on the outside of the box. For example, list “slow cooker and pots and pans” on a kitchen box containing those items. This will help you find what you need without searching through every box.
Make unpacking even easier by keeping an inventory list that you can reference when looking for something specific. Make a list on your phone or computer, or put the inventory list in your “open first” box.
Label boxes as “heavy” or “fragile” when needed so that whomever lifts the box isn’t caught off guard. Using smaller boxes for heavy items is also a good idea. This will help avoid injury and protect the items in the box.
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 Moving in
Unpacking
Give away your moving boxes and packing supplies by posting them on digital community bulletin boards or giving them to a friend. If you plan to move again and have room to store them, keep boxes for your next move.
Properly dispose of items left behind
If the previous tenants of your new home left any hazardous materials, be sure to dispose of them in one of these ways:
 Settling in
Set up recycling
Ask your property manager where the recycling bins or dumpsters are located. Property owners and managers are required to provide residents with the opportunity to recycle.
Make recycling convenient in your home by placing containers wherever you generate recycling. Remember to recycle items from the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and office. Order a recycling guide, recycling magnet, and labels for your home on the environmental resources order form.
Integrate organics recycling
Ask your property manager whether organics recycling is available at your property and where the bins are located. If organics recycling is not available through your property, find a place to drop-off your organics near you.
Identify disposal options
An important step of settling into your new home is identifying disposal and donation options near you.
For more tips on how to reduce waste during your move including a moving checklist, check out our reducing waste when you move brochure.
 Many people are interested in taking steps to prevent waste, declutter, and recycle more, but aren’t sure where to start.
By taking an in-depth look at the goods we buy and waste we create, the Zero Waste Challenge helps families uncover opportunities to recycle more and reduce waste.
The challenge provides personalized help to households to assess the waste they generate, develop a customized waste-reduction plan, and make low-waste lifestyle changes.
Apply now to join the next Zero Waste Challenge
You could reduce your household's waste by 33%! By the end of the challenge, participants say they recycle or compost 60% to 70% of their waste, much higher than the county average of about 45%.
The 2024 Zero Waste Challenge will run from September 2024 through April 2025. You must be a Hennepin County resident to participate. Complete the online application by Saturday, August 31.
If you've participated in the past, share the application with your neighbors, family, and friends. Together, we can build a community of low-waste champions!
Lake Shore Drive Condominiums helps reduce waste by offering reused carboard boxes when residents move in and move out
Lake Shore Drive Condominiums, a 178- unit multifamily condo building in Richfield, received a grant from Hennepin County to create a reusable carboard box program for their residents. Residents, Kory and Dan Iverson, noticed that there was regular move in and move out of their building that resulted in lots of good, clean, reusable cardboard being put in the recycling. While the recycling is the correct place for the cardboard, they realized there was still potential for these boxes to be reused before recycling.
Through Hennepin County’s multifamily recycling grant, Lake Shore Drive Condominiums received funds to purchase a large, wheeled cart, offering a place for residents to place their used, clean, and collapsed moving boxes during move in. Other residents were able to take and utilize the boxes for their move out needs, eliminating the need to buy new cardboard boxes, saving them money and protecting the environment!
In the first six months since adding the cart, they collected and redistributed 76 carboard boxes, giving the boxes another purpose before recycling. Lake Shore Drive Condominiums continues to offer this program to their residents and hopes to save many more cardboard boxes for reuse in the years to come.
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Assistance and resources available to multifamily properties
Hennepin County offers technical assistance to properties to improve recycling. Recycling staff help assess best options, review potential costs and savings, and determine the steps to improve recycling programs. In addition to on-site or online assistance, a variety of resources are available to property managers and residents, including reusable recycling tote bags, aluminum signs, labels, and educational resources.
Multifamily recycling grants
Hennepin County offers grants for multifamily properties to start or improve recycling or organics recycling, reduce contamination, prevent waste, and educate their residents on recycling and waste prevention. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until mid-November 2024, or until the annual program budget is exhausted.
Areas of focus can include purchasing bins and compostable bags, paying for hauling costs, constructing waste enclosures or chutes, managing or preventing the waste of bulky items, and educating residents. Applicants may apply for up to $3,000 for bins and compostable bags and up to $20,000 for all other categories combined.
Review the grant guidelines (PDF) and the grant flyer (PDF) to learn more. Visit the apartment recycling web page to begin the application process.
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Multifamily recycling resources
Free resources are available to Hennepin County residents to improve recycling in apartments, condos, and townhome associations. See what's available and order free resources.
Our committed staff is ready to help you start or improve recycling at your apartment or condo. We can help you assess your best options, review potential costs and savings, and determine the steps forward to improve your programs. Free assistance can be provided online or in-person. Contact the apartment recycling program coordinator to request assistance by emailing apartmentrecycling@hennepin.us.
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