Posts Tagged ‘eco shipping’

Eco Freight Container Solutions

Posted by on 13 Sep 2011 | Tagged as: Eco General

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Cargo logistics and transportation of goods amongst the global village is a multimillion dollar industry and comes under a multitude of criticism for lack of green practices. However Eco Freight Containers are looking to change all of that with some simple changes in materials and the food source of Panda’s may make the industry a friendlier to the environment. Whether you are sending air freight Johannesburg or sending cargo along the South African coastline, packaging is an integral part of the process that ensures the safety of your freight container packages, but at what cost? Companies such as Blue Sky Intermodal are changing that, with their use of bamboo instead of wood inside containers.

Bamboo has been used in construction for years. This strong, durable and natural material has been the backbone of the Asian scaffolding industry due to its ability to sustain consistent weight without buckling and snapping under duress. However in the shipping and freight container industry, its appeal is in its eco-friendly properties being its fast growth in relation to wood. The industry standard wood currently used in the freight container industry is Apitong wood, which takes up to 60 years to reach the maturity needed to be used for containers. Bamboo can be matured and ready for production in 4 to 5 years, therefore a far more sustainable material from an ecological point of view. Only found in one particular area of the world, Apitong wood has been shown to have amazing waterproofing and strength properties making it the favoured choice for sea freight containers, but bamboo is showing that it has similar properties and is being viewed as a cheaper and greener solution.

Companies are already starting to invest heavily in the new bamboo freight container solutions. Industry leaders are seeing this as the way forward with thousands of units already being tested on open waters. Bamboo is looking to outperform in both technical and ecological factors in comparison to its compatriot and perhaps this new freight container solution will save both the industries pockets and our forests.

 

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New Technology Supports Eco Shipping

Posted by on 12 Sep 2011 | Tagged as: Eco General

Monday, September 12th, 2011

The idea that airships could be the answer to eco shipping is not a new one. It has been 75 years since the catastrophic fireball stopped advancements in this technology, and now a new generation of eco conscious entrepreneurs are looking into airships as the possible answer to low-carbon shipping. The initial target for this eco friendly shipping technology will be developing markets including China, Arica and northern Canada where transportation infrastructure is non-existent.

 

There are many benefits to using airships for eco shipping. They can carry enormous payloads without requiring much tarmac access that normal air and truck transport does; and it does so at a fraction of the cost. All this while not polluting the atmosphere? Surely there is no better option for eco friendly shipping.

 

Conventional aircraft is especially useful for transporting perishables such as fruits and vegetables. While transporting these in refrigerated compartments as sea freight is a cheaper option, it this method of transport is considerably longer than sending goods by air. However, the airships offer both affordability and short transport times, and can transport everything from food items to heavy industrial equipment direct to the customer, thereby easing both logistics and cost.

 

Currently there are a few companies that are developing prototypes that should be commercially available anywhere between 2013 and beyond. One company has a prototype with a range of 1000 nautical miles and can carry up to 20 tons. Another airship under development will have a payload of 50 tons.

 

The industry is hoping to cater for the developing markets where infrastructure has not yet been developed for freight. While there aren’t any airships developed for these markets just yet, once they have been established on the frontiers however, due to the airships’ versatility, cost and fuel advantages, it should be easy for these to enter the more mature markets such as that of the United States.

 

In northern countries such as Canada where the ice roads are only operational for a few days of the year, it makes far more sense to send goods as air freight rather than on trucks. The cost of building roads is incredibly high and since these are covered by ice and snow anyway, when the airships take off it will make the construction of roads difficult to justify.

 

New aerodynamic designs and advanced materials and engines mean that the airships are far more durable and capable of longer and more autonomous flights. An onboard computer tells the airship what to do and with the creation of the air cushioned landing system, the airship can fly and land just about anywhere.

 

If this concept does take off we can look forward to cheaper and more sustainable shipping.

 

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