Rebottled IBC totes — the food-grade sweet spot.
A rebottled tote takes a reconditioned steel cage and wood-or-poly pallet (the parts that are easy to keep using) and pairs them with a brand-new, never-filled HDPE bottle. Result: a virgin food-contact surface at roughly 60% the price of a fully new tote, with the carbon footprint of a used one.
Quote a rebottled tote
Same form, every page. Tell us what you've got or what you need; we send a real quote (not a sales drip).
Why this is the format we recommend for food
- The bottle is brand-new and untouched by anything other than potable water at our facility.
- The cage and pallet are reconditioned, so you keep about 70% of the carbon savings of a fully used tote.
- FDA-21 CFR 177.1520 compliant HDPE.
- Compatible with every standard valve and lid in our parts inventory.
Specs
| Spec | 275-gal rebottled | 330-gal rebottled |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle material | Virgin HDPE | Virgin HDPE |
| Bottle weight | ~38 lb | ~46 lb |
| Cage | Reconditioned galvanized steel | Reconditioned galvanized steel |
| Pallet | Reconditioned wood or poly (your choice) | Reconditioned poly |
| Outlet valve | 2" ball, EPDM seal (default) | 2" ball, EPDM seal (default) |
| Top opening | 6" screw cap with EPDM gasket | 6" screw cap with EPDM gasket |
| Footprint | 40" × 48" | 40" × 48" |
| Stack height | 46" | 53" |
| UN rating | UN31HA1/Y (where new bottle qualifies) | UN31HA1/Y |
| Starting price | $165 | $210 |
Common applications
Microbreweries
Wort collection, post-fermentation transport, syrup.
Soap & cosmetics
Glycerin, surfactants, base oils, fragrance compounds.
Maple producers
Sap collection and concentrate transport during boil season.
Beverage co-ops
Cold-brew base, kombucha, juice concentrate.
Liquid fertilizer
Organic-certified inputs requiring food-contact surfaces.
Pharma & nutraceutical
Glycols, food-grade excipients, batch transfer.
Why we recommend rebottled more than we sell it
Rebottled is structurally underrated. Most procurement conversations land on either "new" or "used" because those are the obvious options. Rebottled is the hybrid — and hybrids are harder to compare on a spreadsheet.
What rebottled gives you:
- A virgin food-contact surface (the bottle is brand-new HDPE).
- A reconditioned cage and pallet (the parts that wear slowly and are easy to refurbish).
- About 55% of the cost of a fully-new tote.
- About 70% of the carbon savings vs. a fully-new tote.
- Compatibility with every standard IBC fitting and accessory.
What rebottled doesn't give you:
- The cosmetic perfection of a fully new tote (the cage shows refurbishing).
- An OEM warranty that covers the cage (we cover ours for 90 days; the bottle has the OEM warranty).
- Sometimes a reconditioned cage doesn't match a customer's color spec; we can powder-coat for an extra fee.
Volume pricing
| Quantity | Rebottled 275 | Rebottled 330 |
|---|---|---|
| 1-9 units | $165 | $210 |
| 10-35 units | $148 | $188 |
| 36+ (full truck) | $132 | $172 |
| 72 (double-stack) | $125 | — |
FAQ — rebottled totes specifically
Where does the new bottle come from?
We source new HDPE bottles from the same OEMs that make complete IBCs — Mauser, Schütz, Greif. The bottle ships from the manufacturer to our yard, where we pair it with a reconditioned cage and pallet.
Will it pass a food-grade audit?
Almost always yes for food and beverage. For pharma audits, we recommend a fully new tote because some pharma audits require new cages too.
How long is the lead time?
1-3 weeks for orders under 35 units, 2-4 weeks for full truckload, depending on bottle availability from the OEM.
Can I get a custom-colored cage?
Yes — we have a local powder-coat shop that does custom colors at $28-35 per cage. Lead time adds 5-7 days.