As people become more concerned about the environment and try to make reduce-reuse-recycle a reality in their lives, modified shipping containers are gaining a new lease on life. It’s not that surprising, really – with around 11 million of them ready for conversion to other purposes, booth shipping containers are showing up all over the place as coffee shops, trade show and event booths, field offices, school and medical care extensions and more.
An untapped resource
There are a total of 17 million shipping containers in existence, of which around 6 million are in use at a given time. Made of steel and very durable, shipping containers can be easily modified for a number of purposes, and can last for 25 years with very little maintenance. Modified shipping containers are now being used for all kinds of purposes, because of their convenience, ease of maintenance and durability.
Starbucks kicked off the trend in 2011 with a booth shipping container store. Located in Washington, the 450-square-foot store attracted a lot of attention. Taco Bell followed with a 1,080 square foot pop-up store made of modified shipping containers in 2015. A permanent shipping container store in California was next, in 2017. As pop up stores become part of the retail landscape, booth shipping containers are an attractive option for businesses and any other organizations looking to expand.
Advantages of modified shipping containers
Why are so many businesses opting for custom shipping containers? Let’s look at some of the advantages they offer:
- Quick to set up
There are many good reasons for the popularity of customized shipping containers. They’re easy and quick to set up, and there’s no time lag between design and construction. - Plug and play convenience
Customized shipping containers are plug-and-play: once the units are in place, all that’s needed is to connect electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems. - Customization
Designers have taken up the trend with enthusiasm and an almost endless variety of customizations and modifications are possible. If necessary, pop up container stores can even be moved to a new location. - Did we say durable?
Booth shipping containers are made of steel, which is much stronger than wood. As a construction material, it is better able to withstand weather and all all kinds of stresses, while requiring little to no maintenance. - Modular construction
Customized shipping containers are ideal for modular construction, since they are built to the same specifications. - Recycled materials
Not only is steel a very durable material, it can be recycled to extend its useful lifespan. Each time a shipping container is reused, around 3,500 kg of steel is being repurposed. Modified booth shipping containers also eliminate the costs and energy inputs of new construction.
Booth shipping containers offer businesses and many other organizations an easy and quick way to expand, or to set up temporary locations and extensions. They require less time and energy inputs to set up, which is a plus for both businesses and their customers in an environmentally-consciousness era.
