The business world has become more and more environmentally aware of its responsibilities in using eco-friendly shipping containers as part of their goals to help the environment. Shipping products are one of the largest sources of waste products. Many products are shipped in cardboard boxes with bubble wrap and packing peanuts. These products are now made from recyclable materials or are biodegradable. Packing peanuts alone are used by the ton on a daily basis. They are now biodegradable.
Inventory management software helps a company keep a three-day supply of packing materials to reduce costs and save space.
Several steps have been taken to improve shipping containers to make them more eco friendly:
• Shipping containers are made from 100% (or varying degrees) of recycled materials.
• Annually sustainable materials are used such as bamboo, corn, soya, and cotton.
• Organic bamboo, organic corn, and other farmed materials are used.
• Some shipping materials are made of biodegradable materials such as unbleached paper or clam shells.
• Reusable products such as glass bottles have become popular again. (Remember the glass soda bottles that were recycled?)
The best markets for the development of eco-friendly products are cardboard boxes and food containers. Other excellent containers to go green are biodegradable bags, garbage bags, trash bags, paper, plastics, and films.
Manufacturers of packing materials have made boxes and bags reusable by consumers to extend their life span. Bags with handles made of rope or other durable materials and boxes with extra-thick walls become very useful for the average consumer to use for storage around the house.
Even the moving industry has become more environmentally responsible by offering movers packaging and containers that are made of recyclable materials. The tradition of getting moving boxes from departments stores and supermarkets is still a good way of recycling. Just remember to give them to someone else who is moving, give them to the moving company to recycle, or take them to a recycling center.
A new technology has emerged of using larger shipping containers as recycled building materials for homes, apartments, and commercial buildings. Not only are these homes and offices livable, but they are very comfortable, affordable, and very attractive, too. Could shipping containers be the answer to homelessness?
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