A collapsible ocean shipping container could help international shipping firms reduce their carbon footprint.
The container collapses to one-fourth of its "full" size, meaning that more containers can be shipped back to the source in less space.
The container is made by Cargoshell, a Dutch firm.
It takes only about 30 seconds to fold and unfold the container, reports Triple Pundit.
About 26 percent of all containers shipped every year originate in China, and most of those are returned empty, but taking up the same amount of space on a ship, reports Gizmag.
The container is currently being demonstrated as a 20-foot container, but also can be made to the 40- and 45-foot lengths that are more commonly used.
The collapsible container from Cargoshell also has a roll-up door, as opposed to the outward-opening doors on most containers. This means that containers can be stacked closer together.
Also, the Cargoshell container is made of composite materials, making it 25 percent lighter than standard steel containers, further reducing the new container's carbon footprint.
The container is said to require only a third of the CO2 to produce as steel containers, Gizmag reports.
The downside to this new container? It costs about three times as much as the steel containers it intends to replace.
