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Used IBC totes — the workhorse of the loop.

About two thirds of what we sell. Reconditioned 275- and 330-gallon totes, sorted by prior contents, washed to spec, and certified to UN31HA1/Y where applicable.

Quote a used tote

Same form, every page. Tell us what you've got or what you need; we send a real quote (not a sales drip).

Live form · server-side
US / Canada format — (XXX) XXX-XXXX
Never shared. Real-human reply, usually same day.

Grades we sell

GradeBest forWash specFrom
Food-grade reconditionedBrewing, soap, beverage co-ops, syrup7-step caustic + final HP rinse, batch-logged$165
Industrial reconditionedCoolant, cutting fluid, lube, bulk waterTriple rinse, leak test$110
Construction gradeSite water, mix tanks, dust suppressionSingle hot rinse$95
Rainwater / aquaponicsOutdoor reuse, gravity-fed irrigationCosmetic clean only — disclosed prior contents$95
As-isCustom fabrication, parade floats, artNone — sold as-received$60

How we recondition

  1. Inspection. Every incoming tote is photographed, weighed, and the prior contents are recorded from labels, ATR-IR scan, or chain-of-custody paperwork.
  2. Pre-rinse. A high-pressure hot-water rinse to flush residual contents.
  3. Caustic wash. Hot 1.5–3% sodium hydroxide for organic residues; hot dilute citric for mineral scale.
  4. Final rinse. Multiple HP rinses to potable-water standard. The final rinse on food-grade totes is sampled and tested.
  5. Cage straighten. Hydraulic press at the cage shop; bent rails repaired to drop-test spec.
  6. Gasket & valve swap. EPDM, Viton, or PTFE — your call. New ball or butterfly valves where prior valve is suspect.
  7. Pressure & leak test. 30 psig hold for 5 minutes. Pass/fail logged with batch ID.
  8. Re-label. New UN sticker (where applicable), batch tag, and grade label.

What you can ask us

  • "What did this hold before?" — Always answered, with paperwork or analytical scan.
  • "Can I see the wash log?" — Yes. Every batch has one.
  • "Is the cage rated?" — Yes; we don't reuse cages that fail drop test.
  • "Will it ship to my facility?" — Anywhere in OH/IN/KY/WV/PA on routing; further on full loads.

Industries we sell used totes to most often

Craft brewing

Wort transfer, post-fermentation, syrup, finishing-tank movement. Food-grade reconditioned is the norm; some breweries upgrade to rebottled for taste-sensitive batches.

Soap & personal care

Glycerin, surfactants, base oils, fragrance compounds. Almost always food-grade reconditioned with EPDM gasket; some join our co-op model.

Maple syrup

Raw sap collection on the food-grade side, concentrate transfer on the stainless side. Late-winter is the busy season.

Liquid fertilizer & ag

Organic-certified inputs, fish emulsion, compost tea distribution. Food-grade reconditioned is standard.

Coolant & cutting fluid

Industrial reconditioned with Viton gasket. Heavy-use rotation; we wash quarterly for some fleet customers.

Construction / ready-mix water

Construction-grade reconditioned; gasket condition matters less, cage condition matters more.

What "used" actually looks like

The condition spectrum is real. Here's what each grade looks like in person.

Food-grade reconditioned

Bottle is uniformly translucent with no staining. Gasket is fresh EPDM (or your spec). Cage is straight, repainted if needed, and has a clear UN sticker. Pallet is clean (wood or poly). The tote looks visibly newer than its actual age — that's the wash and recondition cycle showing.

Industrial reconditioned

Bottle is mostly translucent but may have minor cosmetic discoloration. Gasket is new but standard EPDM. Cage is straight but may have minor scuffs. Wash log is shorter (3-step, not 7). Pallet shows normal wear.

Construction grade

Functional, leak-tested, but cosmetically rougher. Bottle may have visible scuffs and minor staining. Cage straight but unpainted. Single hot rinse, no caustic. The cheapest tier we sell that we'd still put our name on.

As-is

Sold without wash. You'll see the prior owner's chemistry inside the bottle. Use only for clearly-compatible reuse (custom fabrication, parade floats, art) or for rebottling on your own end. Discounted accordingly.

Volume pricing

QuantityReconditioned 275Reconditioned 330Notes
1-9 units$110$135Walk-in or LTL freight
10-35 units$95$118LTL or partial truckload
36 (full truck)$78$102Single-stacked dry van
72 (double-stack)$72—Double-stacked, 275-gal only
100+ (multi-truck)$68$95Repeating customer or fleet contract

FAQ — used totes specifically

How old are the totes you sell?

Mostly 2-7 years old by manufacture date. The cage and pallet may be older; the bottle is rarely more than a decade. We don't typically sell bottles older than 10 years — past that, even reconditioned, the polymer is past its useful life.

Can I order in custom colors?

The bottle is always natural HDPE (translucent). The cage can be powder-coated to your color spec at extra cost ($28-35/cage at our local powder-coat shop). Branded sticker labels are also available.

What's included with each tote?

Bottle, cage, pallet, valve, top cap with gasket. Standard EPDM gasket; Viton or PTFE on request. UN31HA1/Y sticker where the bottle re-certifies.

What if my forklift can't handle a 2,500 lb tote?

Order the 275 instead of the 330; cap your fill at 80% (about 1,840 lb full); or use a higher-rated forklift. Our team can advise on rack/forklift sizing if you tell us your equipment specs.

Can I pay net-30 instead of net-15?

For repeat customers with established history, yes. New customers start net-15.

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