Shipping accounts for 90% of the global trade. It is considered the most environmentally sound means of transport.
Ironically, the shipping industry emits 1,000 Mt carbon dioxide per year, sharing the pie with 3% of the total emissions. Thus, it has become a Technicolor mess.
Besides the aquatic pollution, it contributes significantly to the poor air quality and the formation of acid rain. The exhaust produced by the burning of marine fuel contains particles of black carbon which add to climate change.
Causes of the pollution:
One of the prominent contributors to pollution is the massive container ships. They get stuck at ports while waiting to be unloaded. Unless they are emptied, they have an unimaginable impact on the air and water quality. Another under-discussed factor is the lost containers. These form part of the cargo transportation. Due to unfavourable weather conditions or improper maintenance, many containers are lost at sea. If they get stuck for a long time, they are left on their own invariably. This creates a huge problem of pollution in the water body and the obstruction damages the aquatic biodiversity too. Moreover, the goods carried by the time keeps on degrading due to environmental processes, multiplying the pollution levels in the water.
A fleet of Containers Lost at sea:
According to a report, shipping containers cause more pollution than many of the small nations. The ballast water acts as the biocide for the aquatic ecosystems. Some of these containers carry dangerous goods like batteries, fireworks and inflammable chemicals. If they fall upside down, the effect is spread out to the entire water body.
Also, these containers get stuck amidst the sea which is out of reach of any agencies. The people living in coastal areas are at the receiving end of the pollution. Using contaminated water can lead to outbreaks of water-borne diseases and toxic metals that can be life-threatening.
Smart Containers: The Modern Solution
Retrofitting the container ships became an unsustainable and costly affair. Thus, the manufacturing of efficient containers turned out to be an unavoidable necessity.
The modern-day solution to the menace caused by shipping containers is replacing them with Smart Containers. It is equipped with an array of sensors that can collect data in real-time and pass the information to the operator. As such it is a regular container but functions intelligently through a connection with a good network. It can track down the exact location of the container and can even monitor its internal ambience, utilizing GPS technology and sensors.
The data collected isn’t just beneficial for the owner of the container ship, but also the entire supply chain. It helps to avoid the water transport traffic and allows seamless movement of the cargo. Moreover, smart containers can run on methanol instead of using polluting marine fuel. They reduce the cost incurred due to wastage by extending the life of the container. The use of IoT technologies reduces the chances of theft and also saves the goods from environmental spoilage. The better predictability about the whereabouts of the container makes it easier for the company to track the shipping status. Thus, improving the customer experience significantly.
In case you’re wondering how to adopt the smart containers technology, Loginno has got you covered. We manufacture easy-to-install and pocket-friendly devices that have a comparatively less carbon footprint as compared to a regular container. We offer efficient data enablers which have a fair economic cost per unit of data.
Shipping is the lifeblood of the global economy, let’s make it environmentally safe together. Join us in our vision of Contopia (Container + Utopia) and become a sustainable, eco-friendly shipping company!