| In the United States, the importation of goods | | | | are not (yet) harmless in their effect on the |
| and services is nearly 60% higher than | | | | environment. In fact, they are stacked, dozens of |
| exportation. This influx of imported goods creates | | | | containers high, in port cities and areas around |
| what is known as a trade deficit. America is | | | | inland freight transit terminals. In some residential |
| buying so much merchandise from other | | | | neighborhoods, these mountainous stacks of |
| countries, primarily China, and selling so little back | | | | hundreds of thousands of empty shipping |
| to them that shipping containers are an impending | | | | containers actually cast a shadow causing the sun |
| waste disposal problem and a potential | | | | to "set" an hour earlier than in the surrounding |
| environmental hazard. | | | | area! So, they are already impacting the lifestyle |
| Shipping containers are used to transport goods all | | | | of some coastal residents. |
| over the world. It is estimated that 90 percent of | | | | Besides being an aesthetic nightmare, these |
| the world's trade goods are moved in containers. | | | | shipping containers pose a serious waste disposal |
| One hundred million container loads crisscross the | | | | problem. Unless something is done, the |
| world's oceans each year in over 5,000 container | | | | environmental impact will only worsen. |
| ships. There is a very big chance that a lot of the | | | | Twenty-one thousand containers hit American |
| stuff you own or buy came to you in a shipping | | | | shores every day of the year, and tens of |
| container. But these shipping containers create | | | | thousands reach the waterfronts of other |
| problems too. After they are used a few times, | | | | countries, with many more at sea on any given |
| they become used shipping containers and nobody | | | | day. This method of transporting goods is unlikely |
| wants them. These containers currently have no | | | | to change. As long as we are trading with Asia, |
| real use since it is not cost effective to return | | | | there is going to be a glut of shipping containers. |
| empty containers to their point of origin. One | | | | We can't change this situation. What can change is |
| estimate is $900 per container for the average | | | | how we look at it. |
| return trip. | | | | Rather than looking at these shipping containers |
| Since it's cheaper to manufacture new shipping | | | | as a waste disposal problem, we can choose to |
| containers on the opposite side of the ocean than | | | | regard them as an abundance of potential building |
| to transport the empty ones back, the shipping | | | | material. Shipping containers are readily available |
| container industry continues to produce more of | | | | across the globe. So there is a bright spot in this |
| them each and every year. You might say that | | | | darkening sky. Some architects and builders are |
| shipping containers are a renewable resource of | | | | beginning to take advantage of this surplus to |
| sorts. | | | | recycle the containers. This then, is the first |
| But unlike bamboo, or other sustainable resources, | | | | degree of reparation: to clean up the coastlines by |
| shipping containers do not "grow" benignly. They | | | | recycling these used shipping containers. |