A New Jersey startup has developed shipping containers that can fold like an accordion. They
Staxxon plans to sell folding marinecontainers that can shrink to about one-fifth the size of a regular container. The company said it plans to start commercial production within a year, and buyers already have the option to pre-order the product.
If Staxxon containers are adopted by major carriers, it could be one of the first upgrades to shipping containers in decades.
One of the problems with transportation is thatthat empty standard containers take up space in ports, and their movement is quite expensive. Last year, Bloomberg reported that about 27% of 20-foot sea containers passing through the world's ports were empty, resulting in a cost of $20 billion. With collapsible containers, carriers could save up to 57%.