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Living in a BoxAmsterdam student Rose Mandungu stands in front of a colorful apartment complex constructed of a rather unusual material—discarded shipping containers. The crowded Dutch city has been meeting a pressing need for student and other low-income housing by using ubiquitous steel shipping containers. After years at sea, the containers were rusted and dented but ready for reuse to house people instead of products. —Brian Handwerk
Photograph by Paul O'Driscoll, Bloomberg/Getty Images

Pictures: Amsterdam's Lean, Green Shipping Container Homes

Cargo containers can be readily recycled into affordable housing, providing key environmental benefits.

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