how do i delete containers

FWIW, it is possible to create more than one Container on an APFS drive. It's the equivalent of partitioning the drive. If you created more than one APFS container on your internal drive, you would have to boot into Recovery Mode, open Disk Utility, select the top level of the drive, click "Partition", select the Container you wish to delete then click the minus sign.

glauterbach wrote:

how do i delete containers

Maybe if you state the the bigger picture here....

All child Volumes share space with a given Container— you can easily add and delete Volumes.

If you partition a parent Drive— you get a new Container.

If you are reformatting... you want to erase/format the parent Drive, not the Container Level, not the Volume Level.

Disk Utility>View>Show All Devices

Add, delete, or erase APFS volumes in Disk Utility on Mac ...

Since Catalina —you have a locked "Macintosh HD" & a "Macintosh HD - Data" Volume this is the new normal.

About the read-only system volume in macOS Catalina - Apple ...

Big Sur goes one step further by introducing the Signed System Volume—using a “snapshot” of the current system for its SSV, as you see in the list. This is the new normal as well. This would be the 'Macintosh HD'

You can't delete a "Container" without erasing the drive. It's part of the APFS structure.

Are you seeing more than one Container?

"how do i delete containers"

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Please Clarify:

What do you mean by "containers"? If you are looking to free up space - then refer to the link, provided atop this post.