The world has an awful lot of shipping containers. These large steel boxes are usually used to transport goods from one place in the world to another by ship. With proper maintenance, these Conex containers are capable of lasting for 25 years, and yet most are retired after only 10 to 15 years. In fact, estimates are that there are about 24 million retired shipping containers sitting around somewhere on Earth. This has spurred an interest in container solutions for modular housing, shipping container office space, and even shipping containers for use as retail stores. Here are just a few innovative container solutions that could work for your business or contracting needs, and why they work so well.

What Can You Build with An Industrial Shipping Container?

The only real limits are your imagination, but here are just a few ideas.

• Temporary retail space If you need to put up a temporary structure for a special event, using a shipping container can provide you with safe, secure space without the cost and difficulty of building even a plywood structure. It’s also reusable and movable, so you can repurpose the container to some other place or use once you’re done.
• Workshop space If you have a campus or temporary worksite and need a spot set up a workshop, store tools, or just have dedicated space, shipping container solutions could be the right choice. Again, the spaces are durable and mobile, and, since these containers are sturdy, it’s easy to put a lock on them and secure tools or other items when no one’s around.
• Office space Mobile office space can be a great solution for almost any government contractor, military contractor, or business. Container solutions abound, and you can adapt your mobile office space in almost any way you can imagine. It’s possible to stack them, divide them up, and make them air-conditioned or heated. They can even function as a mobile laboratory.
• Durable portable toilets This can be a great solution to a big problem. Small portable toilets can be inappropriate for certain environments because of high winds, safety concerns, or temperatures. Some companies concerned with sanitation conditions have turned to container solutions to provide secure, private, and mobile portable toilets.

These are just a few possibilities for how to use shipping containers. Read on to learn why you’d want to use them!

Why Use Shipping Containers?

There are some great reasons to consider container solutions for storage, a pop-up laboratory, mobile office space, or whatever else you need.

1. Strength Shipping containers are very durable and strong. They can last as long as 25 years if taken care of, and they are capable of withstanding winds of 100 mph when rooted to a foundation. Put in pylons and anchor your shipping container and your space will be able to stand up to 175 mph winds.
2. Convenience A shipping container space can be built far more quickly than one of traditional materials. Some shipping container modular homes are being built in factory in just a week or two, and manufactured spaces can typically be put up in about 1/5 the time and at half the cost of building the same thing out of traditional materials.
3. Cost Because shipping containers structures generate about 40% less waste, and because they take less time to put together, the savings can be significant. Some sites estimate container solutions gave them a 40% savings over other construction methods.
4. Ease on the environment Using a 40 foot shipping container saves 8000 kW of power that would otherwise be needed to melt it down, and most containers are made of 85% recycled steel and can be fully recycled when it does come time to get rid of them. Reusing them saves on valuable building materials.

Shipping container solutions can be a perfect choice for all kinds of construction and building needs. Look into where to find repurposed shipping containers in your area and see what container solutions there are for your needs.