The 14 best places to find moving boxes

It’s official! You’re moving. Now you have to think about getting boxes – and lots of them. The problem is that because everyone recycles nowadays, boxes are becoming much harder to find. Here are some tips to help you out.

If you’re short on time and don’t want to rack your brain, or if special items need special packaging, it’s worth investing in new boxes. Here's where to find them:

• Truck rental companies – they also rent all kinds of moving accessories like padded packing blankets, dollies and belts
• People occasionally sell or give away large batches of boxes in the classifieds
• Home improvement centres
• Moving companies – usually have all sorts of boxes, such as wardrobe boxes, archive boxes and special boxes for wine bottles. You can buy them brand new, or sometimes slightly used.
• Courier and messenger service companies
• Office supply companies or stores
• Warehouses
• Self-storage facilities

Here are the best places to find large quantities of boxes absolutely free. You simply have to go to the counter and ask them to give you whatever they have on hand at the moment. They might even be able to set boxes aside for you to pick up later.

• Grocery stores
• Convenience stores
• Retail and department stores
• Pharmacies
• Liquor stores
• Club stores and warehouse stores

Boxes used to transport wine bottles are excellent for packing books and glassware, because they're small and very sturdy.

More and more companies offer rentals on plastic bins and boxes.

• They stack easily, securely and maximize truck space.
• Aside from being very strong, they also have carrying handles and tight-fitting lids.

Benefits of reusable bins

You can book the rented bins and keep them as long as you need them to pack and unpack.

• Rules and rates vary from one rental company to another, but it can cost an average of about one hundred dollars to rent thirty bins for an entire week.
• The maximum number of plastic bins you can rent may differ, and the rental period may vary.
• Depending on the company, pickup and delivery can be included in the price.
• Reusable bins are more environmentally friendly than buying new boxes and easier than running around to gather used ones.
• If hygiene worries you, the bins are normally washed and disinfected after each use.

Where to find reusable bins

• Companies specializing in container rentals
• Moving companies
• Storage warehouses
• Commercial tool and equipment rental companies

In a nutshell, your choice of boxes depends on your priorities: time, money and being environmentally friendly.

• Choose according to your needs, but whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute to decide.
• Used boxes and plastic bins book up quickly during moving season.

Finding cardboard boxes can be a challenge because they are often quickly flattened and recycled as soon as their contents are unpacked.