Same business day, in writing

Get a quote.

One form covers buying, selling, washing, hauling, rebottling and fabrication. Fill in what you know, leave what you do not, and a yard rep will come back with a written number — grade, prior contents, fittings and freight all itemised separately.

Short answer

Request a written IBC tote quote using the form on this page. Replies arrive the same business day (Mon–Fri, before 3:00 PM ET) and include unit price by grade, recorded prior contents, valve and gasket specification, freight as a separate line, lead time and serial-matched photographs. Quotes are valid for fourteen days.

Reply: Same business day
Validity: 14 days
Freight: Itemised separately
Photos: Serial-matched

Work order · 90-second form

Request a written quote

Quantity, product type and service are the only fields that genuinely change the answer. Everything else sharpens it.

What happens next

Four steps, no phone call.

01
You submit
The form above reaches the yard directly. Every field you fill in removes a round-trip; the message field is where the useful detail usually lives.
02
We match stock
Against what is physically on the ground in Norristown, with prior-contents records checked. If the right container is not in stock, we say when it will be rather than substituting quietly.
03
You get a written quote
Unit price by grade, prior contents, fittings, freight, lead time and photographs. Valid fourteen days. Nothing bundled.
04
You decide
Accept by reply, and the yard stages the load. Or ask questions — most quotes involve at least one, and none of them annoy us.

Before you ask

Rough numbers, so you know whether to bother.

Full detail on the pricing page; these are the bands most enquiries land in.

Typical 2026 pricing, 275 gallon containers
What you want	Typical band	Lead time
Used Grade C as-is	$60 – $95	1–2 days
Used Grade B washed	$110 – $165	1–3 days
Used Grade A	$165 – $225	1–3 days
Food grade	$225 – $300	2–5 days
Rebottled	$250 – $340	3–7 days
New composite	$420 – $560	5–15 days
Washing (your containers)	$18 – $70	1–3 days
Full reconditioning	$95 – $175	5–10 days
We buy your empties	$15 – $85 paid to you	Collection within 2 weeks

Full 2026 pricing guide

Quote questions

Process and validity.

Quotes — FAQ

What does a quote from you contain?

Unit price by grade, the recorded prior contents of the containers offered, the valve and gasket specification, freight as a separate line, lead time, and serial-matched photographs for Grade A and B stock. Nothing is bundled, because bundling is how quotes become impossible to compare.

How long is a quote valid?

Fourteen days as standard. Used container pricing moves seasonally rather than daily, so we are not in the business of pressuring anyone with a 48-hour window. If stock we quoted specifically has moved in the meantime, we will say so and quote the equivalent.

Can I get a quote without knowing exactly what I need?

Yes — that is most of what the message field is for. Describe the liquid, the volume, where it sits and what happens downstream, and the specification will follow from that. We would rather spend a message getting it right than sell you the wrong container quickly.

Do you quote for buy-back as well as sales?

Same form, same day. Choose 'Sell my used totes to you' as the service, give a count and whatever you know about prior contents, and attach photographs of a representative pallet if you can. You will get a per-unit offer banded by grade with collection terms stated.

Not sure what to ask for?

The purchase decision in order, from duty to freight.

Open

Selling instead?

What we pay, what moves the number and how collection works.

Open

Contact details

Address, email, hours and directions to the yard.

Open

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

The yard

Graded, tested, photographed against its serial

By the numbers

The figures behind this page.

14 days: quote validity; Used pricing moves seasonally, not daily
7: things every quote itemises; Nothing bundled, because bundling prevents comparison
Same day: turnaround Mon–Fri; Before 3:00 PM ET
0: obligation, ever; We quote against your interest regularly

Reference

The detail, in full.

What arrives in the reply
Line	Detail	Why it is separate
Unit price by grade	Per container, by grade band	So you can compare against another yard's definition
Recorded prior contents	Product name from the original label	The single most consequential fact about a used container
Valve and gasket specification	Type and elastomer	Wrong elastomer is an $11 saving and a 275-gallon problem
Freight	Separate line, corridor stated	It is a third of delivered cost and it is distance-dependent
Lead time	Business days, with what governs it	So you can plan rather than chase
Serial-matched photographs	Grade A and B stock	You buy the actual container, not a stock image
Avoided-burden figure	On request, per serial	For procurement memos and Scope 3 reporting

Rough bands, so you know whether to bother
What you want	275 gal band	Lead time	Minimum
Grade C as-is	$60–$95	1–2 days	1 at yard, 4 on corridor
Grade B washed	$110–$165	1–3 days	1 at yard, 4 on corridor
Grade A rinsed	$165–$225	1–3 days	1 at yard
Food grade	$225–$300	2–5 days	1 — but order early
Rebottled	$250–$340	3–7 days	1, price break at 25
New composite	$420–$560	5–15 days	1
Washing your containers	$18–$70	1–3 days	1 at yard
Full reconditioning	$95–$175	5–10 days	6 units
We buy your empties	$15–$85 to you	≤2 weeks	12 off-corridor

Received wisdom, examined

Four things people believe that are wrong.

“A quote commits you to something.”

It commits us to a price for fourteen days. We routinely quote the cheaper option, tell customers a specification is over-engineered, and occasionally recommend a competitor when they are closer to you than we are.

“Bundled pricing is simpler.”

It is unverifiable. A $95 container from 300 miles away can cost more delivered than a $140 one from thirty, and you cannot see that unless freight is its own line.

“You need to know exactly what you want first.”

You need to know what the liquid is and roughly how much. Describe the duty in the message field and the specification falls out of it — that is most of what the first reply is for.

“Prices are negotiable if you push.”

Quantity and season move the number far more than negotiating does. The same washed Grade B container is 14% cheaper in January than in April, with four times the choice.

Asked and answered.

Further questions

Can I get a quote for something you have not listed?

Describe it. The shop builds from a sketch or a photograph, we source stainless when a fleet becomes available, and we regularly quote combinations nobody has asked for before. The only firm limits are our permitted residue list and physics.

Will you match another quote?

We will tell you honestly whether the other quote is for the same thing. Very often it is not — a different grade definition, no prior-contents record, no leak test, or freight folded into the unit price. If it genuinely is the same specification and they are cheaper, buy from them.

Do you quote for one container?

Yes. Will-call from the yard for a single unit is routine, and we deliver one or two on scheduled corridors. Below about four units off-corridor, freight stops making sense and we will say so rather than quoting something silly.

What if my requirement changes after you quote?

Reply to the quote. Revisions are normal and cost nothing — most orders here involve at least one, and none of them annoy us.

Go deeper

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
Attribute	275 gallon	330 gallon
Capacity	275 gal / 1,041 L	330 gal / 1,249 L
Footprint	48" × 40"	48" × 40"
Height	46"	53"
Tare weight	125–135 lb	140–155 lb
Gross, water	≈2,425 lb	≈2,900 lb
Max gross mass	2,800 lb	3,300 lb
Bottle mass	38–45 lb HDPE	45–52 lb HDPE
Cage + base mass	≈55 lb steel	≈62 lb steel
Stack, full	2 high	2 high
Stack, empty	4 high	4 high
Two-high stack height	92"	106"
Per 53′ van, volume	48	40
Per 53′ van, weight-limited	17 full	14 full
Fill opening	6" vented or solid	6" vented or solid
Discharge	2" butterfly, S60x6	2" butterfly, S60x6
Forklift entry	4-way	4-way

Grading standard10 rows

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

Our written grading standard, in one table
	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C	Food grade
Wash	Documented	Documented	Rinse only	Documented + sanitise
Bottle	Clear–translucent	Light haze permitted	Heavy staining	Clear, odour-free
Odour	None	Faint, product-typical	May be present	None
Prior contents	Documented, benign	Documented	May be absent	Edible only, documented
Cage	Square, no node rust	Sound, cosmetic dings	Cosmetic damage OK	Sound
Gasket	New	New	As-is	New, FDA EPDM
Leak test	Passed, recorded	Passed, recorded	Not tested	Passed, recorded
Food contact	Only if food prior	No	Never	Yes
Price band, 275 gal	$165–$225	$110–$165	$60–$95	$225–$300
Share of our sales	18%	58%	17%	7%

2026 price bands8 rows

Published rather than extracted through a contact form.

2026 Mid-Atlantic price bands, 275 gallon
Type	Single unit	Pallet (4+)	Truckload (48)	Lead time
Grade C as-is	$60–$95	$56–$88	$52–$78	1–2 days
Grade B washed	$110–$165	$102–$152	$95–$140	1–3 days
Grade A rinsed	$165–$225	$153–$208	$140–$190	1–3 days
Food grade	$225–$300	$210–$278	$195–$260	2–5 days
Rebottled	$250–$340	$236–$316	$220–$295	3–7 days
New composite	$420–$560	$400–$530	$380–$500	5–15 days
Cage only	$35–$65	$32–$60	$30–$55	1–3 days
We pay you for empties	$15–$85	$20–$85	$28–$85	Collection ≤2 weeks

Threads & flow9 rows

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

Threads, adapters and gravity flow
Fitting	Specification	Initial flow	Time to empty 275 gal	Typical use
3" butterfly	3" flange, PP body	128 gpm	3.5 min	Batch dumping, viscous
2" butterfly	S60x6 outlet, EPDM seat	70 gpm	6.5 min	Standard discharge
2" camlock	S60x6 → 2″ male cam	62 gpm	7.2 min	Pump and transfer hose
2" NPT	S60x6 → 2″ male NPT	58 gpm	7.9 min	Rigid dosing plumbing
1" camlock	S60x6 → 1″ male cam	22 gpm	19.6 min	Drum filling, controlled
3/4" GHT	S60x6 → garden hose	9 gpm	45.8 min	Irrigation, wash-down
1/2" spigot	S60x6 → spigot	4 gpm	105 min	Hand filling, troughs
S60x6	60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress	—	—	Modern standard outlet
S100x8	100 mm OD, 8 mm pitch	—	—	Legacy / 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
Product	SG	275 gal gross	330 gal gross	Stack?
Ethanol	0.79	1,940 lb	2,310 lb	Yes
Diesel / fuel oil	0.85	2,080 lb	2,480 lb	Yes — steel bin only
Vegetable oil	0.92	2,240 lb	2,670 lb	Yes
Water	1.00	2,425 lb	2,900 lb	Yes
Latex emulsion	1.05	2,540 lb	3,040 lb	With care
Brine 23%	1.20	2,880 lb	3,450 lb	No
Liquid fertiliser 28-0-0	1.28	3,065 lb	3,670 lb	No
Corn syrup 42 DE	1.33	3,180 lb	3,810 lb	No — partial fill
Sulphuric acid 50%	1.40	3,340 lb	4,000 lb	Partial fill
Sodium hydroxide 50%	1.52	3,615 lb	4,335 lb	Partial fill

Gasket selection10 rows

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

Gasket and wetted-part selection
Product family	Gasket	Valve body	Container	Avoid
Water, brine, glycol	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Dilute acids	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Brass, carbon steel
Caustics	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Aluminium
Alcohols under 20% ABV	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Alcohols over 20% ABV	Viton	Stainless	Stainless bin	Poly bottles
Vegetable and mineral oils	Viton	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	EPDM gaskets
Fuels, diesel, kerosene	Viton	PP or stainless	Steel bin	Poly bottles
Aromatic solvents	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	All poly parts
Food ingredients	EPDM (FDA)	PP (FDA)	Food-grade poly	Non-FDA elastomers
Flavour, essence, botanical	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	Poly 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
Residue	Cycle	Temp	Chemistry	Water	Cost	Outcome
Water-soluble benign	Cold triple rinse	Ambient	None	22 gal	$18–$28	Grade A/B
Sugars, syrups	Hot caustic + sanitise	148–156 °F	1.5% NaOH	45 gal	$35–$55	Food grade if prior allows
Proteins	Hot caustic + sanitise	150–158 °F	2% NaOH	48 gal	$40–$58	Food grade if prior allows
Oils, fats	Degrease + hot rinse	135–150 °F	Alkaline surfactant	52 gal	$45–$70	Grade A/B
Surfactants	Extended rinse + defoam	Ambient–120 °F	Defoamer	40 gal	$30–$48	Grade B only
Latex, emulsions	Mechanical + strip	125–140 °F	Alkaline	50 gal	$50–$75	Grade B/C
Acids, caustics	Neutralise + rinse	Ambient	Counter-agent	35 gal	$32–$50	Grade B
Unknown	Triple rinse, downgrade	Ambient	None	22 gal	$20–$30	Grade C only

Freight limits8 rows

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

What fits on what — volume and weight limits
Vehicle	Full, 2 high	Weight-limited full	Empty, 4 high	Liftgate
53′ dry van	48	17	96	No
48′ flatbed	40	17	80	No
26′ box truck	24	8	48	Yes
16′ box truck	12	5	24	Yes
Sprinter van	4	2	8	Yes
20′ sea container	20	17	40	No
40′ sea container	42	17	84	No
Drop trailer, 53′	48	17	96	No

Circular routes7 rows

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

The seven circular routes, ranked by burden avoided
#	Route	CO₂e avoided	Water avoided	% of new-unit burden	Share of intake
1	Reuse as-is after rinse	88 kg	190 gal	100%	60.9%
2	Wash and return to service	83 kg	163 gal	94%	22.3%
3	Rebottle	55 kg	118 gal	62%	6.0%
4	Salvage cage for another unit	36 kg	76 gal	41%	3.0%
5	Upcycle into a built product	31 kg	66 gal	35%	0.9%
6	Granulate to HDPE regrind	30 kg	62 gal	34%	6.9%
7	Landfill	0 kg	0 gal	0%	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
Failure	Where it starts	Share of retirements	Fixable?	Route
Bottle stress cracking	Base radius	41%	No	Granulate bottle, keep cage
Freeze split	Mid-height, at the old liquid line	16%	No	Granulate bottle, keep cage
Contamination beyond wash	Absorbed into the wall	14%	No	Granulate bottle, keep cage
Bottle deformation	Whole wall, from overfill or heat	11%	No	Rebottle
Cage node corrosion	Welded intersections, corner columns	10%	Sometimes	Mill the steel
Missing prior-contents record	Paperwork, not the container	8%	No	Grade C only
Base rail damage	Fork pockets	—	Yes, on steel	Repair or replace base
Gasket failure	Outlet and lid seals	—	Always	Replace, $4

Delivery corridors7 rows

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

Scheduled corridors from 800 River Rd
Corridor	Key stops	Frequency	Minimum load	Buy-back
I-76 West	Conshohocken, King of Prussia, Reading, Harrisburg	2× weekly	4 units	Yes
I-95 South	Philadelphia, Chester, Wilmington, Baltimore	2× weekly	4 units	Yes
I-95 North	Trenton, New Brunswick, Newark, Elizabeth	Weekly	6 units	Yes
NE Extension	Lansdale, Quakertown, Allentown, Bethlehem	Weekly	6 units	Yes
US-30 West	West Chester, Downingtown, Lancaster, York	Weekly	6 units	Yes
US-202 North	Doylestown, New Hope, Flemington	Weekly	4 units	Yes
Delmarva	Dover, Salisbury, Easton	Fortnightly	10 units	By arrangement

Conversions12 rows

The arithmetic that comes up daily.

Conversions used every day in this yard
From	To	Multiply by	Worked example
US gallons	Litres	3.785	275 gal = 1,041 L
Litres	US gallons	0.2642	1,000 L = 264 gal
US gallons of water	Pounds	8.34	275 gal = 2,294 lb
Pounds	Kilograms	0.4536	2,425 lb = 1,100 kg
Inches	Millimetres	25.4	48" = 1,219 mm
Cubic feet	US gallons	7.481	51 ft³ = 381 gal
Cubic yards	Cubic feet	27	1.4 yd³ = 37.8 ft³
psi	Feet of head (water)	2.31	1.7 psi = 3.9 ft
Feet of head	psi	0.433	24 in stand = 0.87 psi
gpm	Litres per minute	3.785	70 gpm = 265 L/min
kg CO₂e	Miles not driven	2.5	88 kg = 220 miles
kg CO₂e	Mature trees, one year	0.0476	88 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
Mon	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thu	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sat	8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sun	Closed

Next step

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

Get a written quote Sell us your empties

Get a quote.

Four steps, no phone call.

You submit

We match stock

You get a written quote

You decide

Rough numbers, so you know whether to bother.

Process and validity.

Quotes — FAQ

Not sure what to ask for?

Selling instead?

Contact details

The figures behind this page.

The detail, in full.

Four things people believe that are wrong.

Asked and answered.

Further questions

Related reading.

Not sure what to ask for

What the grade means

Selling instead

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

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