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It's a simple metal box that moves nearly all of our goods around the world. Designed for uniformity and interchangeability, the shipping container has reshaped global trade and our lives in the nearly 70 years since its creation.

But listener Paul wants to know if these heavy steel containers could be made with lighter materials to cut down on the fuel needed to transport them, especially when they're empty. Could we make shipping containers a more efficient process and reduce the shipping industry\u2019s sizable greenhouse gas emissions?

Host Anand Jagatia travels to Europe's largest port in Rotterdam looking for answers. Speaking to environmental scientists and industry insiders along the way, he takes a look at how the humble container might be modified to once again remake global shipping, from materials, to designs, to how it\u2019s shipped. And thinking outside the box, we explore which innovations might benefit the whole system \u2013 from machine learning to new, carbon-free energy sources.

For an industry that\u2019s not always quick to change, we speak with the changemakers trying to disrupt the way 90% of the stuff we buy moves, in hope of a greener future.

Featuring:\nMaarten van Oosten - Port of Rotterdam Authority\nMarc Levinson - historian, economist and author\nGreg Keoleian - School for Environmental Sustainability and Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan\nHans Broekhuis - Holland Container Innovations\nTrine Nielsen, Flexport\nTristan Smith - University College London\nElianne Wieles \u2013 Deep Sea Carriers, Port of Rotterdam

Presenter: Anand Jagatia\nProducer: Sam Baker\nEditor: Cathy Edwards\nProduction Coordinator: Ishmael Soriano\nStudio Manager: Steve Greenwood

(Photo: Port of Rotterdam, Maasvlakte Deep Sea Carrier Area. Credit: Sam Baker, BBC)