Cargo containers play a big role in the transportation of goods on trains, ships, and trucks. But what happens to them after they’re ready to retire?
Because these containers are so sturdy, durable, affordable, compact, and easy to transport, there are actually a lot of innovative ways to reuse and recycle them for other purposes.
From workspaces to swimming pools, here are just a few of the many ways cargo containers find new meaning after their transportation days are over.
Classrooms and Workspaces
Remember when you attended history class in a trailer while your school underwent renovations? Well, old cargo containers can serve the same purpose as trailers, providing space for classes, workshops, and even offices. While some organizations use cargo containers as temporary workspaces, it’s becoming increasingly popular to utilize them as long-term work areas.
Homes for the Homeless
Many communities are turning to recycled shipping containers as a solution to the housing crisis. Using stacked containers, they’ve created multi-room complexes, complete with bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and living areas. The beauty of building with these shipping containers is that it’s affordable, easy, and versatile since you can move, stack, and arrange them to accommodate nearly any plot of land.
Tiny Homes
Just as some are turning these recycled containers into housing for the homeless, others are transforming them into tiny homes of their own. One reason is that these recycled containers offer a much more sustainable, eco-friendly option when it comes to building a home. Not to mention, they take up much less space and require less energy than traditional housing.
Hotels
Hotels are jumping on the bandwagon, too, as they’re repurposing shipping containers into chic retreats, glass cabins, and “beach boxes” all around the globe, from Goa, India, to Jupiter, Florida. These upcycled containers give guests a unique, boutique experience with a side of sustainability.
Swimming Pools and Hot Tubs
Recycled shipping containers are also making a splash in the pool scene, as they provide the perfect foundation for a swimming pool or hot tub. You can use the container to create an above-or in-ground swimming pool in your own backyard. In fact, even the shipping container hotels are following suit.
Indoor Farms
Sick of pests or inclement weather ruining your crops? Then a shipping container might be right up your alley. Farmers and gardeners have begun experimenting with cargo containers, or “farms in a box,” to create more protected and viable environments for growing plants, fruits, veggies, and herbs. And the best part? Because they’re compact and portable, you can grow your own farm in both rural and urban settings.
Pop-up Businesses
Entrepreneurs are another sector using retired cargo containers to test out their business endeavors. They’re transforming them into pop-up boutiques, galleries, restaurants, cafes, and even bars to place their products and services in front of customers without facing the steep start-up costs associated with starting a business from scratch. These portable spaces let them experiment with their business to see if it’s worth investing in more permanent options.
Whether you’re looking to conserve space, go green, or save money, upcycling a cargo container could be the solution for you.
