Modpools upcycles containers into luxurious swimming pools

The Vancouver-based company Modpools converts shipping containers into swimming pools.

The CEO, Paul Rathnam, compares containers to cardboard boxes. “They take all of our cargo around the world, safely. And, they’re reusable,” he says. Like kids building new structures out of old boxes, Paul has been upcycling containers into usable spaces for many years.

Modpools purchases single-use containers to make sure they’re as pristine as possible and uses them as building blocks for its pools. Since the construction happens beforehand in the company’s factory near Vancouver, the installation is typically completed within a day. Families can then enjoy luxury-looking pools and spas without the usual on-site burden of construction.

The company already installed about 800 pools across North America and has recently increased its production capacity as the pandemic drove people to make their homes more comfortable and spend their vacations in their backyard.

Why does it matter? Because of the US-China trade deficit, most containers carrying goods from China to America never return and are, therefore, left to rust when they are not recycled.

Modpools seized this opportunity to create a sustainable business that upcycles waste into luxury goods that families can use for decades.