IBC TOTESPA

Norristown, Pennsylvania · since 2009

Totes that refuse to die.

We buy, wash, repair, rebottle, haul and resell intermediate bulk containers — and granulate the ones past saving. Every container that leaves this yard is one that never had to be manufactured. That is the whole business model.

See what's in the yardSell us your empties

Written quotes only · no phone queue · 800 River Rd, Norristown PA 19406

STEEL CAGEHDPE BOTTLE2" VALVEPALLET6" FILL CAP275 GAL
1.2M lb
HDPE diverted from landfill last year
18,400
containers put back into service
6 states
served from one Montgomery County yard
Same day
written quote turnaround, Mon–Fri

Work order · 90-second form

Start a work order

Buying, selling, washing or hauling — one form covers all of it. Same-day written reply, Mon–Fri.

We reply in writing — this is where the quote lands.

US or Canadian number — (XXX) XXX-XXXX

5-digit US ZIP (19406) or Canadian code (A1A 1A1)

We answer by email — we don't run a phone line, so every quote arrives in writing with photos, grades and freight already itemised.

Rows of washed white IBC totes in steel cages on black plastic pallets, stacked two high in a sunlit yard

Norristown, Pennsylvania

Between 1,400 and 2,600 containers on the ground, depending on the season. Every one of them photographed against its plate before it came off a truck.

The ecological argument

Recycling is the consolation prize. Reuse is the point.

A new 275-gallon composite IBC costs the planet roughly 88 kg of CO₂e, 190 gallons of process water, 10 gallons of crude-oil feedstock and 420 kWh before it ever holds a drop of anything. Grinding that same container into flake recovers a fraction of it. Washing it and sending it back out recovers nearly all of it.

So we built the yard around the reuse case first and the recycling case last. A tote that arrives here gets triaged in that order: can it go back out as-is, can it be washed, can it be rebottled, can the cage be salvaged — and only then, can it be granulated. Landfill is not on the list.

It is not charity. Reuse is cheaper than manufacture, which is why a used tote costs you a third of a new one. Ecology and procurement happen to agree here, and we are very happy to take the credit for both.

Triage order, best to worst

Reuse as-is100%
Wash & reuse94%
Rebottle62%
Salvage cage only41%
Granulate to regrind34%
Landfill0%

Share of a new container's embodied burden avoided by each route. Landfill avoids nothing and costs you a tipping fee to achieve it.

Last twelve months

What circularity looks like when you count it.

Numbers from our own intake and outbound logs, Norristown yard, rolling twelve months to June 2026.

18,412

Containers returned to service

Reused, washed or rebottled rather than replaced

1.62M kg

CO₂e avoided

Against the new-container baseline for the same volume

543,000

lb of HDPE kept circulating

Bottles reused or granulated into clean regrind

0 yd³

Sent to landfill

Six consecutive years of zero-landfill operation

Eight stations, one gate

This is the yard, not a stock library.

Everything on this site was photographed at 800 River Rd. The containers in these pictures were graded by the people who wrote the pages.

Mixed white and black IBC totes outside a shipping and receiving building, stacked two and three high
Intake and grading — seven checkpoints, about four minutes a container
Interior of a warehouse with IBC totes racked on orange pallet racking and stacked two high on the floor
Covered storage, racked and floor-stacked two high
IBC totes being loaded into a dry van trailer by forklift at a loading dock, with stacked pallets alongside
The dock — full stock out, empties back on the same movement
Two stained and weathered used IBC totes in a yard, showing discoloured bottles and worn labels
Grade C as-is: honest about what it is, and worth taking anyway
A single clean 275 gallon composite IBC tote on a black plastic pallet, showing the steel cage, fill lid and blue-handled discharge valve
Grade A, washed and leak tested, new gasket and valve fitted
Four IBC totes strapped with yellow ratchet straps inside a trailer, valves facing inboard
Secured at the cage rail, valves inboard, ready for the corridor

Our peculiar little instrument

The Impact Ledger.

Set a quantity, a size and a circular route. It prints a receipt: CO₂e avoided, water saved, oil not drilled, energy not burned, landfill airspace left open. Sourcing teams paste it into a procurement memo. Sustainability teams file it. We mostly built it because "it's greener" is a lazy thing to say without a number behind it.

Print your receipt

How an order runs

Gate to gate in five moves.

The same sequence whether you are buying two totes for a brewery or clearing 400 off a chemical site.

All nine services
  1. 01

    You file a work order

    The form on every page of this site. Quantity, product type, service, grade and your zip are enough to start; photos make it faster.

  2. 02

    We grade and price in writing

    Same business day, Monday to Friday. Grade, prior contents, valve type, cage condition and freight itemised separately — never bundled into one mystery number.

  3. 03

    The yard preps the load

    Wash, valve swap, gasket, cage straightening, leak test. Each container is photographed against its serial before it is stretch-wrapped.

  4. 04

    Freight goes out

    Our flatbeds and vans across the Mid-Atlantic, or your carrier at our dock. Will-call pickup Saturday mornings.

  5. 05

    We take them back when you're done

    Empties come home for credit under the fleet programme, or we buy them outright. That loop is the entire reason this company exists.

Straight answers

Before you ask us.

More of these live in the full FAQ, including freight, payment terms and what we will not sell you.

Common questions

What does a used IBC tote cost in Pennsylvania?

Pricing moves with grade, previous contents and volume. As a working range in 2026: Grade C as-is totes start around $60–$95, washed Grade B industrial totes run $110–$165, rinsed Grade A clear-bottle totes $165–$225, and food-grade single-trip totes $225–$300. Pallet quantities and truckload pickups from the Norristown yard land at the low end of each band. Every quote we send itemises grade, prior contents, valve type and freight separately so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

Are used IBC totes safe for drinking water or food?

Only if the tote is food grade — meaning the bottle is FDA-compliant HDPE, the only product it ever held was an edible commodity, and it has been washed to a documented procedure. We segregate those totes physically in the yard and sell them with the prior-contents record attached. A tote that carried a surfactant, a solvent or an ag chemical never becomes a food-grade tote again, no matter how well it is washed. For potable water we recommend a single-trip food-grade tote plus a new gasket and valve.

Do you buy used totes, and what do you pay?

Yes — buying empties is half our business. We pay per unit based on grade and quantity, with better numbers for clean, cage-straight, valve-intact totes stored under cover. Twelve or more and we'll usually come to you anywhere within about 150 miles of Norristown. Send photos of a representative pallet through the work-order form and you'll have a written offer the same business day.

What is a rebottled IBC tote?

A rebottled tote pairs a brand-new HDPE bottle with a reconditioned steel cage and pallet that has already proven itself. You get a virgin, never-filled inner container at meaningfully less cost and roughly 38% less embodied carbon than an all-new unit, because the heaviest part — the steel — stays in service. It is the sweet spot for customers who need bottle purity but refuse to pay a virgin-steel premium.

Can you deliver, and how far do you go?

We run flatbeds and dry vans across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, New York and northern Virginia, and we broker longer hauls. A standard 53' dry van takes 48 stacked-two-high totes; a flatbed takes 40 with straps. Liftgate and residential delivery are available — tell us in the work order so freight is quoted correctly the first time.

How do I know what was in a used tote before?

Every tote entering our yard is logged against its original label and, where available, its UN marking and manufacture plate. Totes with unreadable or missing prior-content records are downgraded to Grade C and sold as non-food, non-potable only. You get the recorded prior contents in writing on the quote — not a verbal 'it was probably soap'.

The yard reference · carried on every page

Twelve reference sheets, because you should not have to ask us for a number.

Specifications, grading definitions, prices, thread standards, flow rates, weights, gasket selection, wash chemistry, freight limits, circular-route arithmetic, failure modes and conversions. Open what you need; none of it is gated and none of it changes depending on who is asking.

Container specs16 rows

Every dimension for the two sizes that make up 93% of the market.

The two sizes that are 93% of the market
Attribute275 gallon330 gallon
Capacity275 gal / 1,041 L330 gal / 1,249 L
Footprint48" × 40"48" × 40"
Height46"53"
Tare weight125–135 lb140–155 lb
Gross, water≈2,425 lb≈2,900 lb
Max gross mass2,800 lb3,300 lb
Bottle mass38–45 lb HDPE45–52 lb HDPE
Cage + base mass≈55 lb steel≈62 lb steel
Stack, full2 high2 high
Stack, empty4 high4 high
Two-high stack height92"106"
Per 53′ van, volume4840
Per 53′ van, weight-limited17 full14 full
Fill opening6" vented or solid6" vented or solid
Discharge2" butterfly, S60x62" butterfly, S60x6
Forklift entry4-way4-way
Grading standard10 rows

Our written definitions — the same ones printed on every quote.

Our written grading standard, in one table
Grade AGrade BGrade CFood grade
WashDocumentedDocumentedRinse onlyDocumented + sanitise
BottleClear–translucentLight haze permittedHeavy stainingClear, odour-free
OdourNoneFaint, product-typicalMay be presentNone
Prior contentsDocumented, benignDocumentedMay be absentEdible only, documented
CageSquare, no node rustSound, cosmetic dingsCosmetic damage OKSound
GasketNewNewAs-isNew, FDA EPDM
Leak testPassed, recordedPassed, recordedNot testedPassed, recorded
Food contactOnly if food priorNoNeverYes
Price band, 275 gal$165–$225$110–$165$60–$95$225–$300
Share of our sales18%58%17%7%
2026 price bands8 rows

Published rather than extracted through a contact form.

2026 Mid-Atlantic price bands, 275 gallon
TypeSingle unitPallet (4+)Truckload (48)Lead time
Grade C as-is$60–$95$56–$88$52–$781–2 days
Grade B washed$110–$165$102–$152$95–$1401–3 days
Grade A rinsed$165–$225$153–$208$140–$1901–3 days
Food grade$225–$300$210–$278$195–$2602–5 days
Rebottled$250–$340$236–$316$220–$2953–7 days
New composite$420–$560$400–$530$380–$5005–15 days
Cage only$35–$65$32–$60$30–$551–3 days
We pay you for empties$15–$85$20–$85$28–$85Collection ≤2 weeks
Threads & flow9 rows

Measured on our own line: full tote of water, vented lid, valve open.

Threads, adapters and gravity flow
FittingSpecificationInitial flowTime to empty 275 galTypical use
3" butterfly3" flange, PP body128 gpm3.5 minBatch dumping, viscous
2" butterflyS60x6 outlet, EPDM seat70 gpm6.5 minStandard discharge
2" camlockS60x6 → 2″ male cam62 gpm7.2 minPump and transfer hose
2" NPTS60x6 → 2″ male NPT58 gpm7.9 minRigid dosing plumbing
1" camlockS60x6 → 1″ male cam22 gpm19.6 minDrum filling, controlled
3/4" GHTS60x6 → garden hose9 gpm45.8 minIrrigation, wash-down
1/2" spigotS60x6 → spigot4 gpm105 minHand filling, troughs
S60x660 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttressModern standard outlet
S100x8100 mm OD, 8 mm pitchLegacy / EU — use a bushing
Weights by product10 rows

gallons × 8.34 × specific gravity + tare. The number people skip.

Gross weight by product — the calculation people skip
ProductSG275 gal gross330 gal grossStack?
Ethanol0.791,940 lb2,310 lbYes
Diesel / fuel oil0.852,080 lb2,480 lbYes — steel bin only
Vegetable oil0.922,240 lb2,670 lbYes
Water1.002,425 lb2,900 lbYes
Latex emulsion1.052,540 lb3,040 lbWith care
Brine 23%1.202,880 lb3,450 lbNo
Liquid fertiliser 28-0-01.283,065 lb3,670 lbNo
Corn syrup 42 DE1.333,180 lb3,810 lbNo — partial fill
Sulphuric acid 50%1.403,340 lb4,000 lbPartial fill
Sodium hydroxide 50%1.523,615 lb4,335 lbPartial fill
Gasket selection10 rows

The cheapest decision in the specification, and the one most often wrong.

Gasket and wetted-part selection
Product familyGasketValve bodyContainerAvoid
Water, brine, glycolEPDMPolypropylenePoly IBC
Dilute acidsEPDMPolypropylenePoly IBCBrass, carbon steel
CausticsEPDMPolypropylenePoly IBCAluminium
Alcohols under 20% ABVEPDMPolypropylenePoly IBC
Alcohols over 20% ABVVitonStainlessStainless binPoly bottles
Vegetable and mineral oilsVitonPolypropylenePoly IBCEPDM gaskets
Fuels, diesel, keroseneVitonPP or stainlessSteel binPoly bottles
Aromatic solventsVitonStainless316L binAll poly parts
Food ingredientsEPDM (FDA)PP (FDA)Food-grade polyNon-FDA elastomers
Flavour, essence, botanicalVitonStainless316L binPoly bottles
Wash cycles8 rows

The cycle follows the residue. A default cycle is how you get a clean-looking tote that smells.

Wash cycle by residue class
ResidueCycleTempChemistryWaterCostOutcome
Water-soluble benignCold triple rinseAmbientNone22 gal$18–$28Grade A/B
Sugars, syrupsHot caustic + sanitise148–156 °F1.5% NaOH45 gal$35–$55Food grade if prior allows
ProteinsHot caustic + sanitise150–158 °F2% NaOH48 gal$40–$58Food grade if prior allows
Oils, fatsDegrease + hot rinse135–150 °FAlkaline surfactant52 gal$45–$70Grade A/B
SurfactantsExtended rinse + defoamAmbient–120 °FDefoamer40 gal$30–$48Grade B only
Latex, emulsionsMechanical + strip125–140 °FAlkaline50 gal$50–$75Grade B/C
Acids, causticsNeutralise + rinseAmbientCounter-agent35 gal$32–$50Grade B
UnknownTriple rinse, downgradeAmbientNone22 gal$20–$30Grade C only
Freight limits8 rows

Volume capacity and weight capacity are different numbers, and weight wins.

What fits on what — volume and weight limits
VehicleFull, 2 highWeight-limited fullEmpty, 4 highLiftgate
53′ dry van481796No
48′ flatbed401780No
26′ box truck24848Yes
16′ box truck12524Yes
Sprinter van428Yes
20′ sea container201740No
40′ sea container421784No
Drop trailer, 53′481796No
Circular routes7 rows

Ranked by burden avoided. Landfill is not on the list.

The seven circular routes, ranked by burden avoided
#RouteCO₂e avoidedWater avoided% of new-unit burdenShare of intake
1Reuse as-is after rinse88 kg190 gal100%60.9%
2Wash and return to service83 kg163 gal94%22.3%
3Rebottle55 kg118 gal62%6.0%
4Salvage cage for another unit36 kg76 gal41%3.0%
5Upcycle into a built product31 kg66 gal35%0.9%
6Granulate to HDPE regrind30 kg62 gal34%6.9%
7Landfill0 kg0 gal0%0%
Failure modes8 rows

What actually retires a container and where each one goes afterwards.

What actually retires a container, and whether it is fixable
FailureWhere it startsShare of retirementsFixable?Route
Bottle stress crackingBase radius41%NoGranulate bottle, keep cage
Freeze splitMid-height, at the old liquid line16%NoGranulate bottle, keep cage
Contamination beyond washAbsorbed into the wall14%NoGranulate bottle, keep cage
Bottle deformationWhole wall, from overfill or heat11%NoRebottle
Cage node corrosionWelded intersections, corner columns10%SometimesMill the steel
Missing prior-contents recordPaperwork, not the container8%NoGrade C only
Base rail damageFork pocketsYes, on steelRepair or replace base
Gasket failureOutlet and lid sealsAlwaysReplace, $4
Delivery corridors7 rows

If you sit on a route we already run, small loads become viable.

Scheduled corridors from 800 River Rd
CorridorKey stopsFrequencyMinimum loadBuy-back
I-76 WestConshohocken, King of Prussia, Reading, Harrisburg2× weekly4 unitsYes
I-95 SouthPhiladelphia, Chester, Wilmington, Baltimore2× weekly4 unitsYes
I-95 NorthTrenton, New Brunswick, Newark, ElizabethWeekly6 unitsYes
NE ExtensionLansdale, Quakertown, Allentown, BethlehemWeekly6 unitsYes
US-30 WestWest Chester, Downingtown, Lancaster, YorkWeekly6 unitsYes
US-202 NorthDoylestown, New Hope, FlemingtonWeekly4 unitsYes
DelmarvaDover, Salisbury, EastonFortnightly10 unitsBy arrangement
Conversions12 rows

The arithmetic that comes up daily.

Conversions used every day in this yard
FromToMultiply byWorked example
US gallonsLitres3.785275 gal = 1,041 L
LitresUS gallons0.26421,000 L = 264 gal
US gallons of waterPounds8.34275 gal = 2,294 lb
PoundsKilograms0.45362,425 lb = 1,100 kg
InchesMillimetres25.448" = 1,219 mm
Cubic feetUS gallons7.48151 ft³ = 381 gal
Cubic yardsCubic feet271.4 yd³ = 37.8 ft³
psiFeet of head (water)2.311.7 psi = 3.9 ft
Feet of headpsi0.43324 in stand = 0.87 psi
gpmLitres per minute3.78570 gpm = 265 L/min
kg CO₂eMiles not driven2.588 kg = 220 miles
kg CO₂eMature trees, one year0.047688 kg = 4.2 trees

Vocabulary, in twelve lines

IBC
Intermediate bulk container — anything between a drum and a tanker, in practice 110–550 gallons on a forkliftable base.
Composite IBC
An HDPE bottle inside a welded steel cage on a pallet base. The 275 and 330 gallon workhorses.
Tare
Empty weight of the container: 125–135 lb for a 275, 140–155 lb for a 330.
Gross mass
Container plus contents. Most 275s are rated to 2,800 lb; exceed it and the bottle bulges rather than bursts.
Node
A welded intersection in the cage where load actually transfers. The correct place to inspect.
S60x6
The standard outlet thread: 60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress. Hand tight only.
Prior contents
What the container last held, logged against the original label. The single most consequential fact about any used tote.
Rebottle
A new HDPE bottle fitted into an inspected existing cage — virgin interior, 38% less embodied carbon than new.
Food grade
FDA-compliant resin plus an edible-only prior history plus a documented wash. All three, together.
UN 31HA1
Marking for a composite IBC approved for liquids. Belongs to the assembly and carries a service life.
Regrind
Granulated recycled HDPE. Post-industrial IBC regrind goes to pipe, conduit, pallets — never food contact.
Avoided burden
Environmental cost that did not occur because a container was reused instead of manufactured. Not an offset.

All 58 terms

The yard, in numbers

18,412
containers returned to service, rolling 12 months
91.9%
of intake leaves as a container, not as feedstock
1.62M kg
CO₂e avoided against a new-container baseline
543,000 lb
HDPE granulated into clean regrind in 2025
318,000 lb
steel baled to a regional mill in 2025
0 yd³
container material landfilled — six consecutive years
2,600
containers on the ground at the January peak
11%
of offered loads refused, and referred on
22
people at the Norristown yard, four of them drivers
6
states served by our own trucks

Where and when

IBC Totes PA LLC
800 River Rd
Norristown, PA 19406
hello@ibctotespa.com
quotes@ibctotespa.com
No telephone line — written quotes only.
Opening hours
Mon7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thu7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sat8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
SunClosed

Next step

Every tote we keep alive is one that never gets made.

Get a written quoteFind the yard