When it comes to shipping goods and products, it’s important that shipping container solutions keep them well protected, especially for fragile or valuable items (or items that are both). But industrial shipping containers and shipping container solutions (including the materials that are packed in shipping containers to protect them) can contribute to waste in a negative way. For instance, there are estimated to be over 20 million empty containers all over the world that are retired after just a decade or fifteen years, far before the end of their natural lifespan. Fortunately, there are a few shipping container solutions that can help to curb the waste caused by them.

The first of the shipping container solutions is that many of the shipping containers now used are reusable. In fact, steel containers that are well maintained can last over two decades, up to around twenty five years. Though they may need to be repainted, 20 years represents their minimum lifespan.

Homes can also be built using shipping containers and shipping container materials, and this represents perhaps the most ingenious of the shipping container solutions. Because they are referred to as “inherently mobile and stackable” they are easy to build with, creating structures that can last multiple decades and do not require any kind of foundation. Building such a housing structure takes considerably less time than a traditional house, taking only up to three weeks and as little as two weeks, in comparison the average of six months that it takes to build a traditional housing structure that is made from brick and mortar. Aside from being incredibly eco friendly, the building and construction of these modular homes is also very cost effective as well. In fact, building a modular home out of shipping containers can save up to 45% of the cost of building a traditional home. They are also considerably more durable than many people may think, and can withstand severe weather such as winds at 100 miles per hour as well as both tornadoes and hurricanes.

There are a number of shipping container solutions that present viable ways to reduce the waste produced by discarded shipping containers. Perhaps the most ingenious is that of the modular home, which presents a sturdy and durable housing solution that is both cost and waste effective.