When it comes to storage, you want to make sure that your things are secure and safe from damage or theft. You also want to ensure that the storage boxes themselves are sturdy wherever you place them and won’t break if they do take a tumble. Deciding what to store your things is sometimes half the battle.
When it comes to storage boxes, you essentially have two options: metal storage or plastic storage. Each storage method has its upsides and downsides, and the following will compare and contrast each option so you can decide which is the best one for you.
Plastic Storage Boxes
There are a few key points to consider if you’re looking to purchase plastic storage boxes rather than metal ones.
- Cost: In general, plastic storage boxes – regardless of size or volume – are going to be cheaper overall than metal storage boxes. This means you can buy more of them at a less overall cost and use them for more things.
- Durability: While there is a certain balance to the durability of both plastic and metal storage, the material of plastic storage tends to last longer than metal, due to the lack of a rust factor – as can sometimes be the case if metal gets wet.
- Stacking: It’s far easier to stack plastic storage boxes on top of one another as they are much lighter than their metal alternative – even when empty.
Metal Storage Boxes
Likewise, if you’re looking to purchase metal storage boxes, rather than plastic ones, here are a few key considerations.
- Damage-Resistance: Metal storage boxes are much more resistant to knocks and scrapes and bangs than their plastic counterparts. Depending on the quality of the plastic, you may be able to break your plastic storage box with little else but a hard stare. The toughness of metal makes it a fantastic choice for accident-prone environments like garages.
- Recyclability: Aluminium, which many metal containers are made from, is far more likely to be recycled than its plastic counterparts, this makes them slightly more environmentally friendly.
- Better Theft-Protection: Typically, metal storage boxes are easier to lock up and some may even come with theft-protection measures – whereas plastic containers can be easily broken into. Don’t use plastic to store your valuables.
Where Are They Most Commonly Used?
Plastic storage boxes are most commonly found in all different types of places, from schools to the home office to the kitchen and pantry. There are so many different places where you can use plastic storage boxes, and this is one of the chief reasons for their popularity.
Metal storage boxes on the other hand tend to be found in rougher environments, where durability and toughness are required of the storage being used. This means mechanics’ garages, workshops of various types, and even banks – a safe is a type of metal storage box – you’d never make a safe out of plastic.
The question of plastic storage boxes versus metal storage boxes is generally one of purpose. What do you need the storage box for? This will largely determine your choice. It is essentially a question of cost versus durability.
