They move slowly. They’re shipping cargo trucks, carrying items from all over the world. Shipping is one of the best ways to transport products due to how inexpensive it is. Its repository method, the shipping container, is spacious and safe, providing excellent storage capability to cargo while it journeys on to its intended destination

Shipping containers are used not only for large, bulky wares, but even small goods can be moved about in these boxes of steel.  The innovator of the shipping container is Matthew McLean, who came up with this method in 1930 as an alternative to the break bulk system where goods were transported in individual pieces. Shipping containers come in different sizes and varieties, depending on what they’re needed for. A general purpose container has four walls and two doors. An open top container is similar to the general purpose container; however, it does not have a proper roof, but uses heavy tarpaulin that can be removed as desired. This type of container is best used in transporting items that are high in stature. Another container type is the refrigerated shipping container, which is commonly used for the bulk transport of perishable goods like vegetables, fruits, meat, and other food items. The flat rack container is used in for extremely large items such as machines and yachts, consisting of a flat bottom flanked by collapsible walls. Nowadays, shipping containers even come equipped with special features like GPS communicability, and computer chips that allow the cargo to be tracked from on shore. Other shipping containers can be folded up once they’ve done their job, and in the event of shipwreck, are capable of floating on the water.

Unfortunately, most shipping containers are no longer fit for service after five years. Due to the sheer number of shipping containers being utilized worldwide, this means that thousands of containers are disposed of daily. The vast majority are merely left at ports and docks. The ecological movement of today, however, looks to turn this wastefulness around. Shipping containers are durable, flexible, lightweight, and abundant. This makes them great construction material. Here are some interesting ways in which people have been reusing shipping containers:

Housing. This is one of the most popular ways to recycle shipping containers. From single rooms to whole apartment complexes, the container parts have been broken down to create quirky, hip living spaces. It has become a great option for students and artists looking into low-cost property. But it isn’t just for the cost-cutters–there are those who have even used shipping containers to build summer homes. London has even come up with Container City–a section of the city dedicated to shipping container condos.

Source:
http://wikipathia.com/10-usage-shipping-container.html