Plastic bins vs Cardboard boxes for packing

When we’re moving we need to pack our things to transport them easier. We can choose to do this in many different ways. Some of these ways are better than the rest. Check out our list of pros and cons for plastic bins vs cardboard boxes, and see which is better when it comes to packing your belongings.

Cardboard boxes: Pros

Cost efficiency and availability

Cardboard is very cheap. That’s why you don’t need a lot of money to get enough cardboard boxes to fit all your things. Sometimes, you can even get free cardboard boxes in New Jersey and pack without even spending a penny! When we compare the price of plastic bins vs cardboard boxes, we see that the boxes have a much lower price. Apart from this, boxes are available everywhere which is also an important advantage.

Recyclable

Relocate and show your love for the planet! Cardboard can be recycled and repurposed. So, once you finish your move, you can give your boxes away for recycling. You can help save the planet and get rid of your junk – well done!

Apart from this, cardboard can be easily repurposed. You can use it to make some home improvements, or if you have kids, you can break the boxes down and give your little ones the biggest sketchbook they’ve seen. And, you can still recycle the boxes after they are done.

Easy to mark or label

Cardboard boxes are much easier to write on since they are basically paper. Apart from this, once you label them, you can throw them away or recycle them when you don’t need them anymore. It doesn’t matter that they have “Mike’s Socks” written on them.

Labeling your boxes helps you organize your move better and is usually crucial for a good and stress-free relocation. If you know what’s where you can pack and unpack much faster than you otherwise would. This is one of the most important pros for the boxes when we compare them to the plastic containers. You just need to find yourself some affordable movers NJ and you’re good to go.

Cardboard boxes: Cons

Durability

Cardboard breaks down easily, and it’s not the strongest of protection against water. So, if you put your things away in storage they can get damp. Also, damp things can get mold and other damages. Cardboard is not a protection against this.

Apart from this, boxes can’t protect your items very well. Some items are fragile and we must move them with extra care. You wouldn’t want these to be put in regular boxes. It’s not enough to protect a vase with just a piece of cardboard, you’ll need more than that.

Bugs

Cardboard is a source of food for many critters and creepy crawlies. If left unattended, a box is a real feast for many bugs such as cockroaches, not to mention a good place to keep warm. So, if you keep a lot of old cardboard around, you might get a visit from some nasty bugs.

Plastic bins: Pros

Water (and bug) resistant

Unlike cardboard boxes, these plastic containers are much more durable. This means that your things cannot fall prey to mold, damp or insect damage. So, if you properly closed all your boxes, you should be able to keep your things in storage for a thousand years without worrying. When we compare plastic bins vs cardboard boxes, we can easily see that the bins are much more durable.

Colorful

Plastic containers come in many shapes and sizes. This can make moving with your kids much less tasking on you. You can play games and the color might inspire them to help with the packing. Apart from this, color-coding your things is also a great advantage od plastic bins. You don’t really want to write on them since you’ll use them again, but you can use their color as a labeling device. For example, you can put your socks in the blue square shaped box, and the shirts in the red rectangle shaped one.

Reusable

Plastic bins can survive the test of time. You can use them to store things you don’t need or even get those collapsible ones and just assemble them when needed. The reuse value of plastic bins vs cardboard boxes is obvious because most professional packing services NJ use plastic boxes. Most importantly, plastic bins don’t have to be assembled before use.

Plastic bins: Cons

Even though plastic containers have many advantages, nothing is perfect. There are a few issues with having many plastic crates for packing.

Plastic bins vs cardboard boxes: Affordability

Plastic is much more expensive than cardboard which makes the boxes much much cheaper. However, because if the reuse value, you might end up having to buy only one set of plastic moving bins in your lifetime. The same cannot be said for boxes. In the end, it might be cheaper to get the plastic crates once and not worry about it.

Worse for the environment

Most plastic bins are made from the type of plastic that takes a long time to break down. That’s why they’re so efficient in storage. However, this means that they are much worse for our planet if we throw them away without recycling them first.

What to choose between plastic bins and cardboard boxes?

It all depends on your needs and preferences. If you are hiring moving services NJ, you can choose to ask them to pack your things. They will use their own boxes and the risk of damage will be minimal. However, if you are moving by yourself, see which pros and cons of plastic bins vs cardboard boxes suit you better, and choose accordingly.