8 Ways to Transform Used Shipping Containers

The global conversation on climate change and sustainability are becoming more urgent. This has caused people to seek out solutions to reduce negative impacts on the environment. A great way to become more sustainable is to repurpose existing materials. One increasingly popular trend is the transformation of old shipping containers.

These containers are built from high strength steel, made to withstand the harsh conditions of the high seas. Their industrial appearance may seem off-putting, but there’s something charming about an object taking on a second life after it’s already travelled around the world. The shipping container is a symbol of recycling, but can also be transformed into something unrecognisable.

Here are some examples of how they can be repurposed:

Restaurants/Cafés
Shipping containers are the perfect size for a café, restaurant or food truck. They don’t require much alteration and can be opened up for a great indoor/outdoor space. Mozza & Co., an Italian eatery in Paris, use a container as a kitchen while customers dine on picnic tables outside. London’s Wahaca Southbank uses eight containers for a multi-level Mexican restaurant overlooking the Thames River. Toronto’s Market 707 is a community project which uses salvaged containers as stalls for a street food market.

It’s equally important for businesses to choose sustainable furniture for their spaces. By working with sustainable commercial furniture suppliers, businesses can help support forests and local communities.

Art Galleries
Because they’re easily modified and portable, shipping containers make ideal exhibition spaces. One example is GAD in Norway, a multi-level gallery which can be disassembled, moved and reassembled in only a few days. Another is ArtBloc, a crowdfunded gallery and performance space in New York which combines two shipping containers into different configurations.

Pop Up Stores
The retail industry is also using shipping containers to create pop up stores. The containers have the benefit of being portable and cheaper than a traditional building. The New Zealand city of Christchurch even built an entire pop up mall from shipping containers after its devastating 2011 Earthquake. 8 Ways to Transform Used Shipping Containers - yellow shipping container

Hotels
The tourism industry has a variety of negative impacts on the environment. This is why many hoteliers are taking steps to become eco-friendly. Hotels have taken advantage of the versatility of shipping containers to create inspiring designs. Australia’s Hougoumont Hotel makes use of the containers’ naval industrial appearance to fit in with its port town surroundings. The fabulously colourful Hotel WineBox in Chile uses salvaged containers and repurposed furniture for a unique hotel/winery experience with a focus on sustainability.

Farms
One ingenious use of shipping containers is for agriculture. Australian company Sprout Stack uses containers for vertical farming. Chief executive Hugh McGilligan says their farm uses 95% less water than traditional farms, and they reduce food miles by only selling to local businesses.

Schools
Unlike traditionally constructed classrooms, repurposed shipping containers have the advantage of being sustainable and affordable. They’ve been used to support underprivileged communities, like the DigiTruck project in Africa, which converts shipping containers into mobile IT classrooms.

Housing
It’s hard to imagine a house being made from an industrial container, but there are an amazing variety of living spaces which have been created from old containers. A family in Ohio used containers to create a sustainable cabin-style home in the hills, known as The Box Hop. Two architects in California repurposed containers to build stylish fire-resistant houses in response to the 2018 California wildfires.

Swimming Pools
Another creative idea for shipping containers is to convert them into swimming pools. Not only are they the perfect size, but they’re also easy to install and have the advantage of being transportable.

There are many benefits to transforming shipping containers. They provide an excellent and affordable alternative to traditional construction. They’re durable, portable, and incredibly versatile. Shipping containers are an ideal solution for creating sustainable spaces.


Author’s bio:

Maia Fletcher is a freelance writer from the sun-kissed city of Gisborne, New Zealand. When she isn’t writing, Maia enjoys travelling and reading books on a vast array of topics. She carefully plans her trip to reduce her carbon footprint as much as possible. Read more about Maia on her blog.

Reasons Why You Should Get Sustainable Gym Equipment

The following article was kindly written and contributed by Sally Norton.

One of the biggest issues of today is making sure that our lovely planet remains a safe environment for all living beings. People are looking for all kinds of ways to become environment-friendly, reduce their carbon footprint, and start using sustainable sources of energy. With that in mind, it is time to see how to make one of the best and healthiest activities we all can do more environmental-friendly – a workout! Eco-friendly gyms are becoming more and more popular, so let me talk you through all the reasons why you should get sustainable gym equipment!

Sustainable gym equipment – why is it so good?

With all the benefits of renewable energy, people can drastically improve their lives. When it comes to working out, multiple surveys show that more than 60% of people prefer sustainable gym equipment over the regular one. It is a great way to motivate people by showing them your goal is to become eco-friendly, and that they have a saying in that as well.

So, what makes sustainable gym equipment so good? Some of the reasons are:

  • it turns human energy into electric energy (it may sound like The Matrix, but it’s not!)
  • it helps to reduce electric energy costs
  • works as a great motivational tool
  • it pushes people to be eco-friendly in other parts of their lives as well
  • having sustainable gym equipment is an excellent advertisement for your gym

Utilizing human energyReasons Why You Should Get Sustainable Gym Equipment

A workout is an effective way to lose body fat and weight. Furthermore, it helps you stay healthy, active and energized. However, there is so much more human energy can do. Gym sustainable equipment has micro-inverters that function on the same principle as wind turbines or solar panels. They can harness more than 70% of human energy and turn it into utility-grade electricity.

Reducing electricity costs

Imagine having just a couple of people working out for an hour or two, producing electricity. If you have a large gym with many members, the numbers will only go up. Sustainable gym equipment will help you offset power consumption and consequently reduce your bills. 

Everything it takes is a little motivation

People need motivation in their lives. It helps us throughout the day and keeps us more productive. A large number of people, myself included, need the motivation to work out. Sometimes it is tough just getting out of the bed. Even though kettlebells can be your best ally, not everyone will pick them up easily and start working out right away.

Well, sustainable gym equipment may just be the motivation people need to finally start going to the gym. It is important to note that there are more ways to make your gym eco-friendly, and I will return to that a bit later. Nevertheless, having a healthy environment is an excellent motivator for almost everyone.

Advertise your gym in the right way

Sustainable gym equipment will help you advertise your gym and get more members. It is as simple as that. I talked above about the power of motivation, and if people understand the quality of your gym, it won’t take them long to sign up and start giving their contribution while working out.

It is also important to understand what other strategies you can implement to make your gym more eco-friendly!

How to make your gym eco-friendly

Now that you understand what are the reasons why you should get sustainable gym equipment, let’s see how to make the first step and start improving your workout space.

Contact sustainable gym equipment companies

Every good plan needs a partner. With that in mind, you should reach out to any companies that create sustainable gym equipment, and try to make a deal with them. It is always better for your wallet to purchase multiple items at a discounted price than to buy one at a time at full cost.

You will probably get a lot of useful advice on how to set up and maintain the equipment as well.

Use a smart thermostat

Even though you can’t really work out with it, a smart thermostat is a great addition to your environment-friendly gym. First of all, it helps reduce energy consumption. Second, it helps you to effectively use heating energy in your gym, and regulate the temperature in the best way possible.

Remove air conditions and fans – you don’t need them!

It is best to use natural airflow by opening windows. There is really no need to use air conditioning, especially if you have a smart thermostat installed already. Nevertheless, it is important to let the fresh air inside. On cold days you can open the windows between the practice sessions, and have everything fresh and ready for the next group.

Unplug equipment when not in use

Having sustainable gym equipment is one thing, but using it properly is a horse of another colour. With that in mind, understand that one of the best practices is to unplug all equipment when not in use. It draws the electric power even when turned off, so unplug everything before you leave the gym. That does not include only work out machines that run on electricity, but also your computer and any other machines you have inside.

Other good practices for an eco-friendly gym

Next to using sustainable gym equipment and implementing these few strategies we talked about, there is so much more you can do to raise sustainability awareness in your community. You can limit paper use, install filtered water equipment, use efficient lighting and eco-friendly cleaning products, and recycle.

The possibilities are endless, all it takes is a bit of imagination and will power.

Reasons why you should get sustainable gym equipment – delivered!

I hope that these reasons why you should get sustainable gym equipment are more than enough to put you on an environmental-friendly path. Keeping our environment healthy and safe for exercising is an important task, and there is nothing that stops you from doing what you can to make it better. Stay strong, stay green, and keep practicing!

Uni Student Starts Sustainable Business From his Flat

Starting a business can be hard, especially when you’re in your first year of an Economics degree.

With the determination to rid the world of plastic, that’s exactly what British student Tom Benford did in 2018. With a growing business and a prestigious Chamber of Commerce award under his belt, at just 21 years old Tom is on track to make waves in the global sustainable business market.

Tom had always had an affinity for entrepreneurship and jokes that when he was 11, he bought cheap supermarket branded custard creams to sell on to his fellow classmates, undercutting the school canteen. Fast-forward 8 years to the morning after a uni house party where Tom awoke to what can only be described as a plastic hangover in his kitchen, and where he witnessed a friend rinsing out a plastic straw to reuse it. That’s when inspiration hit.

Knowing that there must have been a more sustainable option than reusing a plastic straw, Tom started researching suppliers of reusable metal straws, which could be washed and reused again and again.

With a first shipment of stainless-steel straws and cleaning brushes coming in, aptly named Plastic Phobia was ready to launch its online shop. The first sale was made on the very first day to a family friend, which came to £2.54. It wasn’t long before Tom started getting requests to take wholesale orders, as at this time zero waste products were hard to come by. Plastic Phobia now supplies over 250 stores in the UK, Europe, and Beyond. When Tom’s spare room was filled to the brim with boxes of products, it became clear that Plastic Phobia had to move into a more size appropriate location and is now based at Alison Business Centre in Sheffield.

Before

After

After taking a year out from his studies to focus on the business, Tom formally withdrew from university in 2019 because Plastic Phobia had grown to a level that far exceeded expectations and it was not possible to study and work on the business at the same time. Although the company has enjoyed great success, it hasn’t always been easy. Tom recalls that the hardest challenge he’s had to face was getting traction initially, “Putting the business together piece by piece was difficult. Then growing your start up is difficult. It’s not easy!” Over the last few months Plastic Phobia has expanded to hire Marketing Coordinator Shelby Storey and Sales Coordinator Abi Baker (who spent a large part of her Childhood living in Melbourne), and the team is excited to see the company continue to grow. In October 2019 Tom won the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce President’s Young Entrepreneur 2019 Award, which is an achievement the whole Plastic Phobia team is immensely proud of. He was invited to the dinner in person by the president himself and was surprised with the award on the night.

Plastic Phobia is a forward-thinking company; each day brings a new idea and a stronger strategy. The company recently opened an online B2B ordering platform, which has seen a huge uplift in customer orders and proves that there really is a strong demand for sustainable products. It’s clear that accessibility is key when running any business, but especially when running a sustainable business, as people might often go with convenience over conscience. It’s Plastic Phobia’s mission to provide friendly and efficient customer service, and to ensure that zero waste products are accessible to all.

It’s no secret that Plastic Pollution is a serious problem, It’s estimated that each year the average Australian throws away 130kg of plastic, and the UK collectively bins 295bn pieces of plastic. Reducing waste had always been important to Tom and starting a sustainable business, though not always easy, was an easy decision to make. The company now has an extensive range of zero waste products including Bamboo Toothbrushes, Denttabs Toothpaste Tablets, and Coconut Bowls. While there are efforts being made to remove plastic waste from the oceans, it’s more important than ever that we stop adding to the problem or else we risk being guilty of grabbing the mop before turning off the tap, as the adage would have it.

Thankfully, consumer habits are quickly moving towards sustainability, as customers actively seek out eco-friendly products for themselves and to give as gifts. In the UK there seem to be endless zero waste shops opening on high streets, in markets, and online. This trend is one making ripples globally, with Germany appearing to have the strongest established market for zero waste products.

Australian consumers are ever more conscious of their buying habits, and as the home to the Great Barrier Reef and distinguished coastlines it’s no surprise that people want to make Australia greener.

From the UK, to Germany, to Australia and the rest of the world, one thing that stands out is the community attitude of sustainable businesses. Time and time again we hear about our customers making friends with other local sustainable businesses and opting to combine shipments to minimise the environmental impact from deliveries. At Plastic Phobia we have an open communication with all our customers to find out what is and isn’t working and act accordingly. It is our aim to start a Zero Waste Support group and offer advice to those just starting out who might need help with starting a sustainable business.

Evolving from an idea the morning after a student party into a successful sustainable business trading globally, Plastic Phobia is proof that taking a business idea from dream into reality is a very real possibility. Talking to those who are already running sustainable businesses and sharing ideas for environmental progression means that hopefully together we can work towards a more liveable future.

Sustainable Alternatives To Everyday Items We All Use

As we all know, our planet has a limited amount of resources, and unfortunately, we still aren’t able to go and live on Mars.

That’s why it seems that we see a story about new things killing the Earth every day. Posters of things that we shouldn’t use are everywhere along with the pictures of polluted beaches and rivers. Of course, we all want to do our part in reducing the carbon footprint, but that’s not always easy. We don’t want to lose functionality and convenience that some items provide. Luckily, now we don’t have to. Sustainable alternatives to everyday items we all use are widely available nowadays, so we don’t really have an excuse for not getting on board.

Straws

You have probably already heard about some restaurants that announced that they’ll stop using plastic straws. California even completely banned them because of their harmful effects on the environment, and many states are up to follow. However, many people love to use these little plastic things for sipping their refreshments. For some, they’re a necessity because of their disabilities. 

Luckily, nowadays, you can enjoy all the benefits of straws with much less polluting involved. There are many alternatives to plastic straws. Paper straws seem to be very popular. And they offer quite an acceptable level of quality. However, they sometimes tend to break down after a while so they’re not exactly a perfect thing. If you want to go fully environmentally friendly, check out metal straws. They’re a little bit more expensive, but they’ll last forever.

Metal straws definitely are one of the sustainable alternatives to everyday items we all use.

Toothbrushes

We all know that plastic handles and nylon bristles are far from good for the environment, but we have to brush our teeth every day. Here again, eco options are ahead of us and you can make your daily routine eco-friendly. Toothbrushes made out of recycled materials are sustainable alternatives to everyday items we all use. Many of those are biodegradable, so you won’t pollute at all brushing your teeth.

There are many ways you can go. For starters, there are things called chew sticks. These are all-natural, plant-based sticks that clean your teeth, and they are made out of neem trees. You just nibble part of the stick to expose the bristles before you brush your teeth. After that, you simply cut used bristles off. This way you leave little to no waste.

You can also use bamboo toothbrushes which seem to rise in popularity quite a bit in the last few months.

Light bulbs

Did you know that LED lights are up to 80% more efficient than your traditional lighting options? If you’re wondering how, you’ll be glad to hear that only 5% of energy in LEDs is wasted on the heat. On top of all of this, they use much less power than conventional light bulbs, so the demand for power plants is much lower which reduces greenhouse gas emissions later on. These lights also have a few coloured options and you can dim them without any problems. Another plus thing is that you can control them via your Wi-Fi. Sustainable energy at home in the 21st century – not bad at all.

Flooring

Eco-friendly flooring is nothing new, but it is still worth mentioning as we keep losing forests. There is a variety of choices here. For instance, bamboo is one of the new top materials for this. Some of the other frequently used things are reclaimed woods, porcelain, glass, and even metal.

Now, because of the composition of some of these materials, it’s best to consult the professionals about what material is ideal for your budget, as well as for the area of the house. For instance, all-natural linoleum is extremely hard-wearing so it is a perfect eco-friendly flooring for your kitchens and hallways.

Besides being environmentally friendly, bamboo flooring looks amazing.

Binders

Pretty much all of us keep our important documents in binders. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s simply the best way. However, they can be used much longer and for multiple purposes, if you opt for a reusable material like vinyl or poly is. 

It’s simple really. Binders that we all know are made out of animal leather. This is harmful, primarily to the animals, but to the whole planet as well, because of toxic chemicals and all that fossil fuel that is burned in the production of livestock.

However, you don’t have to give up on style to save the planet. There are sophisticated vinyl binders that resemble leather ones and are much more durable and water-resistant. Many international companies such as fourwinds-ksa.com declared that they’re switching to those. Why wouldn’t you?

New vinyl binders are definitely the way to go if you care about the planet.

Linens

Many people already use eco-friendly linen, but it is very important to check if your bedding meets the Global Organic Textile Standard.

Many companies explore this market and some of them have made astonishing results. For example, some of them add eucalyptus and other plants to cotton. The reasons behind this are simple. Plants such as eucalyptus don’t need irrigation, pesticides, or even farming to thrive.

Here again, we see just how good of a plant bamboo is. Besides all the things that we’ve already mentioned, it is also used for sheets, pillows, and mattresses. On the other hand, bedding filled with polyester made from old recycled plastic bottles is always a good bet.

Bags

When you want to move your possessions overseas, you need a good bag for them. But it doesn’t have to be plastic. Or maybe it wouldn’t be able to be, as plastic bags are getting banned all over the world. If this is still not the case where you live, you can always ask for a paper bag next time you go grocery shopping. Or even bring your own.

Bags are a simple thing to manufacture, so it is not surprising that they made it to our list of sustainable alternatives to everyday items we all use. Recycled cotton totes and string market bags are getting more and more popular every day. And the same can be said for sandwich bags. Yes, a reusable, leak-proof bag for your snacks is a thing, and you can find them in a variety of sizes.

Sustainable Technology: Q&A with TODAY App Creator

Born from a desire to bring big changes to the world via our ever increasing reliance on technology, Seb Berry created the TODAY App, offering users the chance to take on small sustainable challenges that have big impacts on our planet.

We got the chance to speak with Seb about sustainability, solutions and the big challenges in today’s society.

Q: What inspired you to create the TODAY App?

A: For me, the first thing was to try and figure out how to bring the world’s most monumental challenges into some kind of framework that feels personal and relevant.

We live with one of the most powerful pieces of technology in our pockets, 24hrs a day. Many of us also recognise the need to make change towards sustainable alternatives, and technology can help make it more fun and easy to share.

I saw so much power in the small choices we make as individuals, which play into broader systems and dynamics with environment & climate as much as business & governance – and imagined how we might recognise our own potential in our daily habits.

I’m inspired by the incredible things people are capable of, and brought the TODAY App to life to provide a platform to empower people with the personal difference they can make on many of the biggest issues facing our generation.

Individually and collectively we share many common goals, and we can work toward them by focusing our energy and attention into what we know is important – but we tend to get distracted and forget about those things in our day-to-day lives.

 Q: Tell us a little bit more about the app. What’s your favourite feature?

A: TODAY is a sustainable living app that gives people one small challenge that they can make each day. It gives people feedback on the positive impact they’re having. It prompts little habit hacks and changes we can easily make – like going meat free for a day or grabbing a reusable coffee cup.

The vision of the TODAY App is to create a lifestyle tool that motivates us to take up more sustainable habits. You can see daily quotes alongside active challenges, personal impact and collective impact.

My favourite feature for the App right now is ‘Invite Friends’, which allows people to start building teams and a support crew around taking on positive new habits and having the support network to keep up with them.

 Q: Do you think we’re becoming more or less sustainable in today’s society? Why?

A: There is much happening that is positive. It’s an interesting and tough question to answer though, as there equally are signs that as a global community the net shift is still heading in the wrong direction.

There’s huge groundswell in awareness and action around sustainability. In media, government and non-government organisations, business, community and then of course ratified commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 by 150 world leaders.

As individuals (consumers if you will) we also drive the agenda though – and that’s a critical factor. There is something of a reliance on support structures such as government to provide answers to how we will turn the tide on unsustainable human practices. However, the Catch-22 is that consumer behaviour is the very thing that motivates business and drives policy. Equal pressure is needed from both sides to find balance with the natural world and arrive at a healthy and sustainable future.

As a business owner myself, I would say there is a real change in the air with organisations realigning with deeper values and taking the initiative to shift the goal posts around people and planet as much as profit. In this respect I would highly recommend all organisations to go through the process of B Corporation Certification and involving as many of their teams in that process as possible.

 Q: What’s your favourite TODAY challenge? Why?

A: There are so many things we can do, and I’ve only incorporated a small number of the hundreds of habit hacks that I’d like to have in there. 

My favourite challenge would also have to be the most impactful. And one of the most significant habits we can get into is reducing the amount of meat in our diets.

What I hope people get out of the App is a sense of:

Personal motivation – consider it a sustainable living buddy.

Connection with friends who also want to make a positive impact, since you can log into the app through Facebook.

Access to products and services that can help to support more sustainable living in the long term.

 Q: Tell us your top three tips for sustainable living

  1. A: Try going VEGAN
  2. Buy nothing else NEW in 2018
  3. Move all your services to GREEN

 Q: Can we look forward to TODAY for Android in the future?

A: Good question! Further work is going into the App to make it more awesome. First thing’s first, we need to help people form the sustainability habits that they’re going for, and support them with the community, information, products or services they need to maintain them.

While an Android version would be great to make available, we’re looking for resources to be able to make that happen.

To help accelerate TODAY on its journey, we’ve just built a chatbot game for Plastic Free July on Facebook Messenger. The idea here is for us to keep testing and making things better while finding the money to be able to continue App Development.

If it’s not too late, please go to https://m.me/thetodayinitiative and simply click Get Started to get involved in the Plastic Free July game – you’ll get little daily reminders to keep up the good work!


Check out the TODAY App here and download it from the Apple Store here