Shipping containers now dominate the transport industry when it comes to moving nonbulk items. Everything from cars to toothpicks gets packaged in these ubiquitous metal containers, then trucked and shipped all over the world. A company has put a new face on the containers, making them out of corrosion-resistant composites.

Collapsible cargo container : Collapsible cargo container Collapsible cargo container : Collapsible cargo container The resulting containers are easier to clean, weigh 25% less, are simpler to repair, and manufacturing them generates 25% less carbon dioxide compared to the metal alternative. To top it off, the new Cargoshell container being developed by Cargoshell BV, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (, can be collapsed, thanks to hinged sides. One person with no special tools or powered equipment can break down a Cargoshell, which then shrinks to a quarter of its expanded size for easier transport when empty. Other advantages include better insulation, making the container easier to refrigerate. And the door on the Cargoshell rolls up and out of the way, unlike traditional containers with the doors that swing out. The roll-up doors will let the container be placed closer to each other and still be accessible.

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