One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. One man’s storage is another man’s home.
In a time of shifting perspectives, it should come as no surprise that many people across the country are looking for both alternative uses for steel cargo containers as well as alternative home opportunities for those less fortunate and those more adventurous.
Steel cargo containers continue to used in abundance for their intended purposes, but as more and more of these containers are being moved out of circulation in the shipping industry, Americans across the country are purchasing them and using them for a number of varied purposes. Storage container modifications can range from on site offices for construction companies to hunting and viewing blinds for hunters and birdwatchers. In fact, in today’s world or repurposing it is more and more common that these steel shipping containers are serving as many purposes after they are retired from the shipping industry as the number of different items that they carry while they are being used for their traditional purposes.
Americans Who Buy Used Shipping Containers Have a Valuable Resource That Can Serve Any Number of Purposes
Steel cargo containers, in their original intent, are used to ship 95% of the world?s cargo. In fact, due to higher transportation costs by other industries, it still makes more financial sense to transport goods in high volume ship, loaded with steel cargo containers. Did you know, for instance, that some of the world’s biggest container ships are nearly 1,300 feet long with a maximum width of 180 feet (55 meters)? That length is nearly 400 meters, or the same distance around an Olympic running track.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the use of shipping containers around the world and the inventive ways that these structures are being repurposed:

• While most shipping containers serve their intended purpose and are used to deliver goods, as many as 675 shipping containers are lost at sea every year, a tragic loss.
• Housing is in high demand in some of the poorer places in America. In some instances, shipping containers can be redesigned to include both electricity and running water to help provide viable options for shelter.
• Altered with a liner and a plexiglass side, containers can be turned into backyard swimming pools.
• Temporary housing for storm victims.






• When shipping containers are regularly maintained, they can last for a total of 20 years, according to Container Auction.
• In some parts of the country, shipping containers are used for hunting blinds.
• Lofted one on top of another, storage containers can even create a two story living space.
• Let you r imagination run wild and dream of how you could retrofit a container for your desired purpose.






• The traditional storage space continues to be the most common use for metal containers.
• How many things do you have crowding your closets and dressers?
• Everyone could use a backyard tool shed.
• You can install windows for light and circulation.






• Temporary storage boxes can be moved from one location to the next.
• How many storage containers do you have holding your extra fireworks inventory?
• Instead of renting storage space, why not buy a used container?
• No idea is too crazy when it comes to new uses for the recycled metal from damaged containers.
• Keeping items dry and safe is one advantage to the latest steel storage containers.






• Office space for remote construction sites are easily made out of shipping containers.
• Finding a solution to inner city housing problems is not always easy, but some communities have created mini cities using storage containers.






• Next baseball game how about moving your retro fitted steel container to the parking lot for your pregame celebration?
• Everyone can the extra storage that is provided by a used steel shipping container.
• X-tra attention to environmental issues encourages some people to repurpose and recycle shipping containers. In fact, for each recycled shipping container that is being used there is nearly 3,500kg worth of steel. In addition, repurposing containers also means saving traditional building materials, like bricks, mortar, and wood.
• There are nearly 17 million shipping containers in the world, but only 6 million of them are in use. This means that approximately 11 million shipping containers are currently unused and available to be converted into homes for people in need, or for other purposes.