Pennsylvania Uses a Lot of Moving Boxes

In 2021, Pennsylvanians used enough cardboard moving boxes to stack four stories high within Lincoln Financial Field Stadium, according to data published by moveBuddha.

In the same year, U.S. Census data recorded more than 15.8 million household moves across the country. moveBuddha estimates that the average family needs about 60 medium-sized moving boxes per move. That comes to nearly one billion moving boxes total for the entire country.

Pennsylvania ranks No. 7 for most boxes used per state.

With 558,403 moves to and within Pennsylvania in 2021, movers in the Keystone State used an approximate total of 3.5 million boxes. Each medium-sized moving box measured about 2.13 square feet, for a total of 71 million square feet of moving boxes per year for Pennsylvania movers.

To put that into perspective, moveBuddha says that many boxes could fill 712 city blocks or make a four-story tall stack of boxes inside Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field Stadium.
That’s a lot of boxes. How can movers reduce their waste?

The number one way to use fewer moving boxes is to have less stuff. If movers declutter their homes before or during packing, they can reduce the number of boxes they need, save space in their moving vehicle and require fewer trips back and forth. As a result, they will save money on boxes and packing supplies, save money on gas and reduce their carbon footprint.

The most sustainable way to declutter is to donate items or have a yard sale. Giving items a second home is better for the environment and helps those in need.

Another way to reduce moving box waste is to make more sustainable moving choices. Eco-friendly movers can buy reusable boxes that can later be used for storage, choose moving boxes made from recycled cardboard, and recycle their own boxes when they’re finished. Some even rent moving boxes and bins.

For other green packing choices, movers can use biodegradable packing peanuts, recycled packing paper, environmentally friendly bubble wrap, clean socks, blankets and soft clothing items to cushion anything fragile.