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[FRE07962128]

A very interesting BBC Breakfast Business News item this morning has given the facts that in 1980 13 million of those huge standard sized road/rail/ship containers were being used.  In 2010 no less than 140 million will be in use!

What a revolution this has been within the transport industry that has greatly affected all our lives by facilitating the fast, economical and reliable supply of cheaper goods around the world.

Do you remember those days when the  dockers unions were getting everyone out on strike in the 1970s to stop this happening?  Not only did they fear (correctly!) that dockers jobs would be lost, but no longer could their members obtain their "perks" whilst loading/unloading ships!!

As part of the BBC Breakfast Business News programme we can follow one container all around the world to demonstrate how the system works by logging on to:

www.bbc.co.uk/thebox

[amigov6]

Today due to the lack of manufacturing we import more than we export, hence factories etc. being levelled to make way for yet another retail park, carpets, toys elec good etc. who sell us imported goods & feed us crap food in a carvery chain pub...yuk....
   Anyway, more importing= more shipping containers which can be stacked on ferries...you can't stack trailers hence more foriegn drivers pulling trailers on cheap euro diesel, more uk drivers (ala moi) pulling containers & all our towns losing thier identities as they all turn into a huge collective retail park selling us yet more imported goods.
   Sorry, bit of a ramble but it's true...sadly.

[bertiecbx550]

The BBC maps wrong the container aint in southampton docks its being cut up for scrap metal and shipped in anotha container to china....

[FRE07962128]

Today due to the lack of manufacturing we import more than we export, hence factories etc. being levelled to make way for yet another retail park, carpets, toys elec good etc. who sell us imported goods & feed us crap food in a carvery chain pub...yuk....
   Anyway, more importing= more shipping containers which can be stacked on ferries...you can't stack trailers hence more foriegn drivers pulling trailers on cheap euro diesel, more uk drivers (ala moi) pulling containers & all our towns losing thier identities as they all turn into a huge collective retail park selling us yet more imported goods.
   Sorry, bit of a ramble but it's true...sadly.

I wouldn't disagree with this assessment Amigo, but this evening I have learnt that far too much of our intended "recycle" paper, plastic, glass, tin AND general waste is actually being mixed up after the councils collect it, sold to contractors, who promptly EXPORT it on to third world countries like India!

It goes by ship in containers, roughly 'sorted' by locals once delivered to salvage what they can, but the vast majority seems to be ending up dumped in illegal tips!  One shown, full of BRITISH rubish, was next to a national park!!  

[amigov6]

As you all know i'm a truck driver but we pull containers. I've looked at the site you posted. Container terminals such as Southampton are all over our shores & expanding. Immingham (home) has a large dock (ABP) as does Liverpool, Colchester, Tilbury, Harwich, Hull, Felixstowe plus the countless inshore yards who store /onhire /offhire empties. Given our lack of UK manufacturing the container trade will continue to grow as we rely more on foriegn trade.
   All our beloved Migs were built in Germany!!!!

[amigov6]

As you all know i'm a truck driver but we pull containers. I've looked at the site you posted. Container terminals such as Southampton are all over our shores & expanding. Immingham (home) has a large dock (ABP) as does Liverpool, Colchester, Tilbury, Harwich, Hull, Felixstowe plus the countless inshore yards who store /onhire /offhire empties. Given our lack of UK manufacturing the container trade will continue to grow as we rely more on foriegn trade.
   All our beloved Migs were built in Germany!!!!

I forgot. Re your waste comments you'd hate to know how much waste textile we load from West Yorkshire in bales for South Africa.

[Lazydocker]

I can assure you, working at Felixstowe docks at the moment, that our biggest export is still empty containers! I think the count for the vessel I'm currently working on is around 1200 empty boxes of the 1500 odd being loaded!

[Vamps]

And how many full ones come in, that seems the wrong way round to me

[albitz]

I can assure you, working at Felixstowe docks at the moment, that our biggest export is still empty containers! I think the count for the vessel I'm currently working on is around 1200 empty boxes of the 1500 odd being loaded!

which means we are importing roughly 4 times as much as we export.
hardly surprising as we dont have much manufacturing industry these days - thanks maggie.

[Martin_1962]

I can assure you, working at Felixstowe docks at the moment, that our biggest export is still empty containers! I think the count for the vessel I'm currently working on is around 1200 empty boxes of the 1500 odd being loaded!

which means we are importing roughly 4 times as much as we export.
hardly surprising as we dont have much manufacturing industry these days - thanks maggie.

No idea who to blame but I think it goes back to the 1960s when the great dumbing down started.

[Varche]

Living in a different country brings home to you the very strange mindset of the "British". I like most people from the UK am proud to be English and my home county is "the best place in Britain" etc etc.

However the British seem hell bent on consuming at the expense of the country. e.g. Cars - we bought our fill of foreign stuff rather than our own. In Spain they all drive around in locally produced SEATs, France its Renaults and Citroens. I know there isn't much choice anymore other than Toyotas and Nissans.

Spanish supermarkets are full of well Spanish foods. Very, very little from anywhere else though you can buy Irish cheddar. English supermarkets full of stuff from EVERY corner of the globe.

I think I am right in saying your average person doesn't think twice about where it came from only how much does it cost. The Spanish mostly buy their own made stuff as a matter of pride and national ID etc. Too late for a Buy British campaign!

I was gobsmacked the other day to see a German presenter on a popular BBC programme. Haven't we got any of our own? I would like to see a fluent Spanish speaking Brit get a job on Spanish TV!! No chance whatsoever.

So the containers will keep streaming IN full of foreign stuff and going back empty or with "rubbish" for recycling. Fortunately we have the City of London to support Britain!!

varche