Sea Change for Cargo Containers

By Hannah Stone

Fremantle has embraced the modern trend of upcycling and the creative transformation of old shipping containers has been no exception.

Ryan Creed and Julian Mitchell founded Life Cykel and have transformed five shipping containers into a mushroom farm and expect two more next week.

The oyster mushrooms are grown inside the containers after the spores are mixed with coffee grounds collected from Fremantle cafes.

“The main benefit is the price and the pride in knowing they’re re-used. They are also easy to get in Fremantle being a port city,” said Ryan.

“It fits with all our values in sustainability and they just tick so many boxes.”

Used shipping containers can be bought for around $2,000 – $3,000 and their robust qualities make them ideal for turning into something new.

Fremantle resident Gemma Stacey bought a shipping container in September 2014 and spent a year transforming it into a recording studio.

“It’s a ready-made frame. They’re strong, made of steel, and weatherproof,” said Gemma.

“I transformed the inside but the exterior was ready to go.”

For some purposes like the mushroom farm, the containers are ideally suited and only need minor adaptation.

“Generally they’re very much in the shape that they were when we got them with not too many modifications,” said Ryan.

The high density steel of the shipping containers means they can be easily insulated which was important for the air and temperature control for Life Cykel’s mushroom farm and the sound-proofing of Gemma’s studio.

For Gemma Stacey, constructing the studio was a personal transformation as well.

“I’ve always wanted to build something, so if I’m looking at my bucket-list I can tick that off, and I’ve always wanted somewhere where I can go and make my music and now I can do that,” said Gemma.

At the start of March 2016 Life Cykel started producing mushrooms and say that if they expand their business in the future they will continue to use the versatile and sustainable shipping containers.