There has been constant and very impressive growth of news stories about shipping containers being turned into houses, apartments, and businesses. It is a testament to the strong social interest in sustainability and environmental consciousness across America, and it points the way to both greener crate shipping processes and greener housing.

Looking at just the past few days, we can find several good examples. Nextcity.org discussed the overall enthusiasm for shipping container housing, using a planned three-family condo in Newark, NJ as a case study. Meanwhile, Jetson Green has details of a 24-unit shipping container apartment complex coming on the market in Texas, and AZ Family reports that a similar project in downtown Phoenix has attracted a wait list of 133 people who are interested in shipping their moving boxes to what was once a much larger moving box and calling it a home.

The Washington Post Projects that more shipping container building projects might be on the way, following one that completed in 2014. Inhabitant and Fast Company Design point out that this trend is not limited to residences, reporting on, respectively, “Freight Farms” that maintain hydroponic farming operations inside of intact shipping containers, and the world’s first shipping container-built Taco Bell, which was constructed in three days with half the environmental footprint of an ordinary store. With this, Taco Bell is taking up a trend already established by Starbucks.

All of these articles seem to focus on the novel design aspect of shipping container buildings, but with little to no reference to the materials’ original function. But as a provider of packing supplies, crate shipping, and relocation services, we at Box Brothers are interested in how this trend might simplify the entire process and supply chain involved in moving from one residence to another or from one business location to another.

It’s interesting to think that in the very near future, you could collect together your moving boxes when you’re ready to relocate to a new, custom-built home, and then in one simple shipment send all of your belongings and the actual framework of your home to your ideal location, where a starter house can be built in a matter of days. Sure, we’ve got our own solutions for quick relocation services and hassle-free moving, but nothing can beat the efficiency of having shipping, storage, and living space all in one big package.