Ask your removals company

When contacting a removals company in Plymouth, inquire if they provide free boxes when you schedule your Removals Plymouth with them. Many removal companies in Plymouth offer this service.

Inquire among your social circles

People you know, especially if they have moved recently. Family, friends, and co-workers often have used boxes taking up space in their homes that they would be happy to get rid of. Even if you can only get a few at once, it’s better than nothing.

Ask fast-food restaurants in your local area.

Many fast-food places, such as McDonald’s, KFC and Subway, receive regular deliveries in large cardboard boxes. Ask these restaurants if they can save a few for you instead of throwing them away.

Detour via the back alleys of your nearest shops

Your local shops build up enormous amounts of cardboard boxes and have to pay to have them removed; they may be pleasantly surprised when you offer to take some off their hands.

Furthermore, choose only the most sturdy boxes and check them for damage. Many will likely be in bad condition and unusable. However, it’s worth looking here as you may come across a stack of free boxes all at once.

Check the Gumtree app

If you’re looking for free cardboard boxes, check the ‘freebie’ category on Gumtree. Search for free boxes in your area, and with some luck, you may come across someone with the high-quality boxes you’re looking for. However, it’s all about timing—the sooner you start searching, the better your chances of finding free boxes for moving house.

Ask a commercial printing shop.

Print shops get a lot of paper and cards that come in solid cardboard boxes, and these are perfect boxes for moving houses. Likely, these packing boxes have only been used for paper and stationery items. This means that the boxes you acquire will be in excellent condition.

Ask local Facebook Freebie Groups and Facebook Marketplace.

One of the best ways to connect with people in your area is through Facebook groups. You can find people nearby and may have boxes you could use for moving house, etc. Join as many local groups as possible and create a few posts requesting free packing boxes. It only takes a few minutes – give it a go!

Use Nextdoor Online Forum

Nextdoor is a website where you can find free cardboard boxes. It’s a website for your local community. You must sign up for it, and all your neighbours must be verified. This way, you can trust that the people giving away boxes are actually from your neighbourhood; maybe one day, you can return the favour.

Check if there is anything available on Freecycle.

Suppose you find someone giving away cardboard boxes on Freecycle as they have recently moved. In that case, it’s essential to ensure that the available boxes are sturdy. Remember that you’ll need boxes that can stand up against wear and tear to prevent your belongings from becoming damaged.

Look on Freegle

Freegle is similar to Freecycle. People give away their unwanted items on this website. You might find someone near you giving away cardboard boxes that won’t cost you a penny.

Ask your local schools.

Many schools have copious amounts of stationery, paper, books and food shipped to them in packing boxes. If you have children who attend school, see if any teachers or staff members have spare boxes you can utilize. You could also call your local school to inquire about extra boxes.

Ask local recycling centres.

You’ll need permission before you help yourself; bring a packet of hobnobs to sweeten the deal. Although local recycling centres will definitely have a ton of cardboard boxes, you must carefully inspect them for the presence of unwanted substances or tears and evidence of pests.

Ask your supermarket

Supermarkets and grocery stores receive boxes daily, so they might have some extras to spare. These boxes have only been used to store groceries, so you’ll need to check the condition.

Top tip: Go to the supermarket when staff are restocking shelves and ask if any are available and when the best time is to come back.

Check your local discount stores.

Stores like Chaplin Superstore, Poundstretcher, The Range, Home Bargains, Poundland and B&M always have a high stock turnover. They tend to get large cardboard boxes frequently, and if they are allowed to give them away, you’ll be doing them a favour.

Ask your local off-license.

A liquor store has alcohol delivered and glass bottles which means extremely sturdy cardboard boxes perfect for moving home. These shops also tend to be smaller, so they’re more likely to give out their unneeded packing materials; they’ll only have to pay to dispose of them.

Query local coffee shops

Coffee shops are getting deliveries of coffee, coffee cups and food. Stores like Costa and Starbucks are more likely to get regular deliveries because they are popular chains. Additionally, their eco-friendly ethos should hopefully help when you offer to reuse and recycle these old boxes.

Try local colleges or universities.

You can get boxes from local residence halls if your move is scheduled for autumn or spring. This is a good option if you live close to a college or university. Contact the college or hall of residence directly to see if they can help you; you may find they have a recycling skip full of second-hand boxes left by the hordes of students.

Proposition your local businesses

There are a lot of local businesses where you can get free cardboard and reduce your moving costs. You can get them from greengrocers, local bookstores, electrical stores, department stores and more. The boxes these businesses offer are usually clean and in good condition.

Local warehouses and Industrial Estates

Local warehouses and distribution centres often have boxes that will be thrown away or recycled and can be an excellent resource for packing materials and boxes. Warehouses and industrial estates often give away their pallets for free, so a few boxes shouldn’t be a problem.

Ask at DIY stores

You’ll find plenty of heavy objects at a DIY store, like building materials, paint, and tools. So, only strong boxes are used. Just ask an employee at your local store or give them a call to see if they have any boxes available.

Try a few popular restaurants and bars.

Although their shipments are small, it’s less likely that other people would think to ask them for boxes to move home. If you ask enough businesses, I’m positive you will find what you’re looking for.

Hint: 

Restaurants and bars get deliveries of alcohol and food each week, and smaller chains are likely to give them away when they finish unpacking.

Local charity shops

While most charity shops are happy to give away any used cardboard boxes, it’s essential to inspect them for damage and pests before taking them. Some smaller local charity shops and larger chains like St Lukes and the Heart Foundation may be worth a try.

Creativity For Free Boxes

The important part is that you’ve used your creativity to get free boxes. With every free box you find, that’s more money saved which can be put towards your other moving expenses or something nice for your new home.