Recycled Shipping Containers Find New Life as Cool Modpools

There are some truly creative ways to recycle and/or repurpose materials. For example, plastic waste (with a dash of bacteria) can become vanilla. It’s rarely a bad thing to help the environment in some way. And that’s exactly what Modpools aims to do with their creative take on swimming pools. The company uses massive shipping containers to create backyard masterpieces in the US and Canada. (Thanks to Fast Company for bringing this to our attention.)

Those large shipping crates that we see traveling the seas only take one trip sometimes. Thankfully, most of them become something useful, like homes or offices. But Modpools founder Paul Rathnam came up with a novel way to get lengthy usage out of these containers. Luckily, he already had experience transforming shipping crates into other things.

Photo of a black shipping container pool from Modpools

Modpools/YouTube

Rathnam told Fast Company that a few years ago he thought about how he’d like for his family to enjoy their own pool. Several conversations and a spark of inspiration later, Modpools came to life in 2017.  This was a great pivot for him and his professional connections allowed him to nab single-use containers from suppliers.

Based on this photo above, they also look rather cool on top of being portable. This is a plus for those who desire a pool but may have to one day move and leave it behind. A Modpool can pack up and go with a family for decades.

Modpools are customizable to a purchaser’s needs. There are three options available: full ground (but not too deep), partial above-ground, or above-ground. Installers can even get them up and running in a day As one would expect, pricing for one is nebulous depending on what a person wants. But it’s probably worth it for anyone who’s on the recycle/repurpose home aesthetic wave.