If you are planning to move across town or across the country, keeping it "green" can be easy. Moving is always a daunting task and making the extra effort to help the environment while doing so can be confusing.

You know you are going to have to make either multiple trips between locations or hire a large gas guzzling truck to haul all your belongings. Your packing materials will consist of countless cardboard boxes, packing paper, tape and bubble wrap. All that waste can really scare someone who strives to make a real effort with the environment. Below are some tips to help ease your worries. Just a few simple ways you can make your move greener.

Having just moved myself, I was able to utilize many of these tips myself. Unfortunately I did not use all of them.

Reuse/Recycle your cardboard boxes
- I personally used this method. We ended up moving ourselves rather than hiring movers and we also were fortunate to have both homes at the same time. To reduce our use of boxes we reused them. First, all of our boxes were borrowed from friends and neighbors. We packed a set of boxes, moved it to our new place, unpacked then went and packed them again. We used less boxes, saved money by not having to buy boxes and got portions of our new home unpacked quickly.

- Once you are done with your boxes ask friends, neighbors and co-workers if they may need them. You never know and it's a great way to reuse.

- If no one has a use for the boxes and you don't want to keep them for later, recycle them. Cardboard boxes are easily recycled and most local areas have drop off locations to take your boxes.

Don't throw that couch in the dumpster
- If you are moving to a smaller dwelling and need to purge some of your clutter, don't just toss it all in a dumpster, donate. There are several organizations you can donate to. Many will take a range of items from small vases to cars. It may require a little research on your part to find a organization that you feel comfortable donating to.

- You can also list your free household items on Craigslist or The Freecycle Network. There are people out there that are not only willing to take your free items but also pick them up. Of course keep yourself safe when contacting people you don't know over the internet.

- Need some extra money for your move? Have a yard sale or sell your items on ebay.

Worried about the truck moving all your possessions not being environmentally friendly? There are several companies out there that strive to help you move green. For some information on these companies, check out Treehugger.com's tips on green moving.

What have you done to make your home more green? Leave a comment to let us know.