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Intake & trace
We log the prior contents and reject any tote that carried acutely hazardous, pesticide, or unknown material into general reuse.
Products / Reconditioned
Used & Reconditioned IBC Totes
Reconditioned IBC totes are used totes we bring back to spec: emptied, triple-washed, pressure-tested, re-valved, and graded. You get a container that works like new for roughly a third of the price and a tiny fraction of the carbon. Typical pricing runs $75 to $180 for 275 and 330 gallon composite totes.
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Get Your Free Quote
Buying, selling, or just curious what your totes are worth? Tell us what you need — we reply within one business day.
The Definition
What "reconditioned" actually means.
A composite IBC is engineered for years of service. The cage is galvanized steel; the bottle is thick HDPE rated for thousands of fill cycles. When a tote empties out after one job, almost none of that life has been used. Reconditioning captures the rest of it.
On our line, every returned tote is drained, triple-washed inside and out, and hydrostatically pressure-tested for pinholes and cracks. We replace tired valves, caps, and gaskets, straighten or swap the cage if the frame took a hit, and assign a grade. Totes that fail testing are stripped for parts or diverted to our upcycling workshop — nothing goes to landfill.
Want the step-by-step? Read how IBC totes are reconditioned or see our reconditioning service.
Know Your Grade
Grades: match the tote to the job.
Grade is the single biggest driver of price and fit. Buy the cleanest tote your product needs — and not a grade more.
| Grade | Description | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | Rebottled or nearly new bottle in a sound cage. Clean inside and out, minimal cosmetic marks, valve and cap intact. | Food-adjacent processes, potable water, resale, anywhere appearance and cleanliness matter. |
| Grade B | Solid used bottle, triple-washed, light staining or scuffs possible. Fully functional cage, valve, and pallet. | Agriculture, car wash, dust control, general industrial liquids and bulk storage. |
| Rinsed / As-Is | Emptied and rinsed but not certified clean. Sold by the truckload at the lowest price point. | Non-potable water, on-farm reuse, upcycling projects, ballast and weight. |
Full grading criteria live on the IBC tote grades reference.
Provenance
Typical prior contents.
We track and disclose what every tote held before it reached you. We do not sell totes that carried acutely hazardous, pesticide, or unknown material into general reuse. Common prior contents include:
- Food-safe syrups, oils & concentrates
- Detergents & surfactants
- Glycol & antifreeze
- Agricultural inputs & fertilizer
- Adhesives & coatings
- Non-hazardous industrial liquids
Always confirm compatibility between the prior contents and your product before filling. When in doubt, ask for a rebottled Grade A or new tote.
Availability
Two sizes, always in stock.
275 Gallon
The workhorse
Roughly 1,040 liters. Fits a standard 40x48 pallet footprint and two per pallet position on a truck. Our highest-volume size.
330 Gallon
More per trip
Roughly 1,250 liters in a similar footprint — fewer totes and fewer fills for the same volume.
Torn between them? Read 275 vs 330 gallon IBC totes or see the full sizes & specs charts.
What It Costs
Honest pricing ranges.
$75+
Rinsed / as-is, by the truckload
$110
Grade B washed, typical mid-range
$180
Grade A / rebottled, top of range
60%
Typical savings vs. a new tote
Ranges are per-tote and move with grade, prior contents, order quantity, and freight distance. Larger orders and dock-to-dock loads price lower per unit. Request a quote for live numbers on your ZIP code.
Who Buys Them
Built for working operations.
Reconditioned totes are the default choice across trades that move liquid in bulk and care about cost:
- Farms & agriculture co-ops
- Car wash & detailing chains
- Chemical blenders & formulators
- Breweries, wineries & cideries
- Landscaping & municipal crews
- Emergency & off-grid water storage
Learn how our buying service matches graded stock to your spec and schedules delivery.
Why It's Greener
Reuse is the highest form of recycling.
Molding a new composite IBC burns energy and consumes virgin HDPE and steel. Reusing one that already exists skips nearly all of it — a reconditioned tote carries roughly 90% less embodied energy than a new one, with a wash cycle instead of a manufacturing run.
Every tote we return to service is one that stays out of the landfill and one less new one that gets built. Put a number on it with our loop calculator, or read the whole story on our sustainability page.
Questions
Reconditioned tote FAQ.
What does reconditioned mean for an IBC tote?
A reconditioned tote is a used tote that has been emptied, triple-washed, inspected, pressure-tested for leaks, re-fitted with a sound valve and cap, and re-caged if needed. It performs like a working tote at a fraction of new-tote cost.
How much do used IBC totes cost?
Reconditioned 275 and 330 gallon totes typically run about $75 to $180. Grade A and rebottled totes sit at the top of that range; rinsed as-is totes at the bottom. Quantity and freight distance move the number.
Are reconditioned IBC totes food safe?
Food-grade stock is available — totes that previously held only food-safe products and are washed and certified. Ask specifically for food-grade when you request a quote, and see our all totes page.
What sizes do you carry?
Two core sizes: 275 gallon and 330 gallon composite caged totes, both stocked in multiple grades and shipped nationwide. Compare them on the sizes & specs page.
Inside the Wash Line
Seven steps from empty to graded.
Every tote that reaches you cleared the same line. Nothing skips a step, and anything that fails is stripped for parts or sent to the workshop — never buried.
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Drain & recover
Residual product is drained and captured for proper disposal so the wash stream stays clean and nothing goes down a drain it should not.
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Triple wash
Hot caustic and rinse cycles scour the bottle interior and exterior. Food-grade candidates get an intensified wash and certification pass.
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Pressure test
Each bottle is hydrostatically tested for pinholes, stress cracks, and seam leaks. Fail and it leaves the reuse line for salvage.
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Re-fit hardware
Tired valves, caps, and gaskets are swapped for sound parts, matched to the tote thread and the buyer’s fitting spec.
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Re-cage if needed
A bent frame or cracked pallet base is straightened or replaced, so a good bottle is never scrapped over cosmetic cage damage.
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Grade & stage
A final inspection assigns Grade A, B, or rinsed, and the tote is palletized and banded, ready to ship on your quote.
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Loop the failures
Totes that can’t return to service are stripped for parts or built into upcycled goods. Zero landfill.
Want the long-form version with photos and detail? Read how IBC totes are reconditioned.
By the Numbers
275 vs 330 gallon at a glance.
| Spec | 275 Gallon | 330 Gallon |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | ~275 gal (1,040 L) | ~330 gal (1,250 L) |
| Footprint | ~48 x 40 in | ~48 x 40 in |
| Height | ~46 in | ~53 in |
| Empty weight | ~120–150 lb | ~135–165 lb |
| Fill opening | 6 in cap | 6 in cap |
| Outlet | S60x6 / 2 in valve | S60x6 / 2 in valve |
| Best when | Highest-volume workhorse, easy to lift full | More volume per trip and per fill |
Full dimensions and tare weights live on the sizes & specs charts.
Buy With Confidence
What to check before you fill.
Even a graded tote deserves a two-minute walk-around when it lands. Run this quick checklist and you’ll catch anything freight might have done in transit:
- Confirm the prior-contents note matches your order
- Open the cap and check the interior is clean and dry
- Cycle the valve open and closed — it should seat fully
- Inspect the gasket for cracking and pick the right elastomer
- Check cage welds and pallet feet for stacking integrity
- Fill test with water first for any critical application
For chemical or regulated product, cross-check compatibility on our tote safety guide before filling.
Do & Don’t
Reuse the smart way.
Do
- Match the gasket to your liquid (Viton for solvents)
- Vent the lid on gravity draw-off to avoid vacuum collapse
- Keep totes off bare ground and out of direct UV long term
Don’t
- Fill food or drinking water into a non-food-grade tote
- Overfill past the safe fill line for your product’s density
- Assume a UN mark carries over — reconditioned rarely keeps it
More Questions
Reuse, safety & logistics.
How many times can a tote be reconditioned?
The bottle is the limiting part, and a sound HDPE bottle survives many wash-and-refill cycles. As long as it passes pressure testing and the cage is serviceable, a tote can loop through reconditioning repeatedly over many years.
Do reconditioned totes keep their UN/DOT rating?
Usually not. The UN mark applies to a specific manufactured configuration, and reconditioning generally does not preserve it. If you ship regulated liquid you likely need a new UN-marked tote. Confirm your packing group before you fill.
Can I request a specific prior-contents history?
Yes. Tell us your sensitivity and we’ll pull totes that only held compatible product — for example food-safe syrups only, or detergent-only stock. For zero-history requirements, a rebottled Grade A or a new tote is the safe route.
How are totes shipped and how many fit on a truck?
Totes ship one per pallet position, and a standard 53-foot trailer holds roughly 40 to 44 totes floor-loaded depending on size. We palletize and band every order. See our nationwide shipping for lead times and rates.
Do you take my empty totes back?
We do. Our selling service buys empty totes, reconditions the sound ones, and recycles the rest — closing the loop on the totes you bought from us and anyone else.
Related
Keep exploring the loop.
New IBC Totes
When your product needs zero prior history or a UN mark, compare first-use totes.
See new totes →All Tote Types
Composite, food-grade, stainless, carbon steel, and foldable, side by side.
Compare types →Grades Reference
Full Grade A / B / rinsed criteria so you buy exactly the grade you need.
Read grades →Reduce · Reuse · Recycle
Ready for reconditioned totes?
Tell us your grade, size, quantity, and ZIP. We quote washed, tested, graded stock within one business day.
