Having arrived at ports and unloaded the cargo, shipping containers may not be sent back overseas. The high cost of returning empty shipping containers for reuse results in the abandonment of millions of shipping containers in ports or shipyards worldwide. Leaving them to rust and ruin only turns these non-operational steel boxes into waste. Buying abandoned containers and recycling them into new architectural structures are smart acts. Not only are the acts sustainable, but such green practices are also economical and creative. Let’s learn some sustainable, economical, and creative architectural structures made from recycled shipping containers.
Sustainable housing
Recycled shipping containers as housing structures are more economical than brick-and-mortar housing structures. Potter’s Lane is one of the architectural archetypes of sustainable housing. This green building is constructed from 48 recycled shipping containers. Not only is Potter’s Lane a sustainable building innovation, but it is also a smart action to handle the problem of veteran homelessness.
Pop-up retail spaces
Entrepreneurs, start-ups, and big companies turn to recycled shipping containers as stalls, cafes, event booths, bars, kiosks, stores, and malls. Common Ground in Seoul is a container mall constructed out of 200 shipping containers. Also, Starbuck’s mini café in Northglenn, Colorado becomes another example of a green act of recycling shipping containers. These large retail businesses take advantage of creative and less-expensive commercial applications of recycled shipping containers.
Apart from the large retail business, entrepreneurs and start-ups are at the forefront of recycling containers to gelato kiosks, coffee bars, and everything in between. They may find that recycled containers are economical for starting a business, testing new places, and creating brand awareness.
Offices
Recycling abandoned shipping containers into offices is increasingly popular. The popularity may be underlined by the durability, security, scalability, easy customization, and comfort that containers can provide. Recycled shipping containers can be modified with specific designs and fitted with fixtures and fittings to suit unique needs. For example, located in Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun District, the new Goldman Westling working space is made from four shipping containers.
Need shipping containers for your smart projects, Tradecorp has a complete selection of shipping containers for sale. Fill out the quote, and our team will be happy to assist you in selecting the right containers that work for your projects.
