The vocabulary, defined

Grade A, B and C — and why nobody agrees what they mean.

There is no standards body behind these letters. Every seller defines them differently. Here are the common descriptions, and the questions that will tell you whether a seller has a definition at all.

Short answer

Grade A is washed with a clear, odour-free bottle, square cage and near-new fittings. Grade B is washed with light staining or haze and a serviceable cage. Grade C is sold as-is with visible residue, non-food and non-potable only. No industry body governs these letters — each seller sets its own, so get the definition in writing.

Governing body: None
Common grades: A · B · C
Food use: Separate question
Get it: In writing

Work order · 90-second form

Selling or buying graded totes?

Describe the totes and a partner supplier follows up.

Common descriptions

Three grades, described criterion by criterion.

Common used IBC tote grade descriptions
Criterion	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C
Wash	Washed or rinsed	Washed	As-is or rinse only
Bottle clarity	Clear to translucent	Light haze or staining permitted	Heavy staining, opacity
Odour	None detectable	Faint, product-typical	May be present
Prior contents	Known and benign	Known	May be unknown
Cage	Square, no node rust	Sound, cosmetic dings	Cosmetic damage permitted
Base	Sound, no repair needed	Sound or repaired	Serviceable
Valve	New or near-new	Serviceable	May need replacement
Gasket	New	New	As-is
Leak test	Usually	Usually	Often not tested
Suited to	Non-food duty where appearance matters	Industrial, ag, utility	Non-food, non-potable, static

Buying from anyone

Six questions that reveal whether a grade means anything.

Ask these of any seller.

'What is your written definition of this grade?'

If the answer is a paragraph, good. If it is 'it's clean', the grade is a sales word.

'What did it previously hold?'

A product name, from a logged label. 'Soap' and 'food stuff' are not answers. Without this, the container is Grade C whatever they call it.

'Was it leak tested, and do you have the record?'

A fill-and-hold test. A seller who tests will say so immediately.

'Can I see a photo of this actual container?'

Photographs of the actual container, not a catalogue image.

'What is the manufacture date on the plate?'

A bottle newer than its cage means a rebottle — perfectly fine, but you should be told rather than discover it.

'What would make you downgrade this one?'

A revealing question. A seller with a real standard has a ready list.

Matching

Which grade for which duty.

Grade selection by application
Application	Minimum grade	Why	Overspending looks like
Potable / edible contact	New container	Absorption is irreversible	—
Animal drinking water	Known benign prior, or new	Animals are sensitive to residues too	—
Sensitive industrial product	Grade A	Trace carry-over matters	Buying new for a non-edible product
Customer-facing / resale	Grade A	Appearance is part of the product	—
Ag nutrient, fertigation	Grade B	Dedicated per product anyway	Grade A for a fertiliser tank
Glycol, caustic, utility	Grade B	No product contact	Stainless for a glycol reservoir
Dust suppression, site water	Grade C	Container will get abused	Grade A on a construction site
Stormwater capture	Grade C	Non-contact, outdoor	Anything better
Concrete wash-out	Grade C	Single-season consumable	Anything better

Grading questions

Definitions and edges.

Grades — FAQ

Is there an industry standard for IBC tote grades?

No. There is no governing body, no published specification and no certification behind the letters A, B and C — they are trade shorthand that each seller defines for itself, and some do not define them at all. Ask any seller to put their definition in writing before you agree a price.

What is the difference between Grade A and food grade?

Grade A describes condition — washed, clear bottle, no odour, square cage, good fittings. Food suitability depends on history — the resin, what the container held before, and how it was cleaned — not on appearance. A container can easily be Grade A and unsuitable for food, because it was washed well after holding a detergent. For food or drinking water, use a new container and check current regulations.

Can a Grade C tote be upgraded?

Sometimes to Grade B by washing, if the downgrade was purely cosmetic residue and the prior contents are documented. If the downgrade was for a missing prior-contents record, no amount of washing changes it — the record either exists or it does not. And if it was for cage damage, that is a reconditioning job rather than a grading question.

Which grade should I buy?

Grade B for nearly everything: industrial water, ag nutrient, wash solutions, dust suppression, brine, glycol. Grade A where the container is customer-facing or the product is sensitive to trace carry-over. Grade C for site water, stormwater and anything where the container is going to be abused. A new container where something downstream is edible or potable.

Buying guide

The whole purchase decision in order, from duty to freight.

Open

How pricing works

What moves the price by grade and size.

Open

Request graded totes

Grade A, B and C through partner suppliers.

Open

Two stained and weathered used IBC totes in a yard, showing discoloured bottles and worn labels

Grade C

Weathered totes with stained bottles, typically sold as-is

IBC reference · on every page

Reference sheets for the numbers people ask about most.

Specifications, grade descriptions, thread standards, weights, gasket selection, freight limits and conversions. Open what you need; none of it is gated.

Container specs14 rows

Typical dimensions for the two common composite sizes. Check the plate on a specific unit.

The two common composite IBC sizes
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
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

Grade descriptions6 rows

How grades are commonly described. Ask each supplier for their own written definition.

Common used-tote grade descriptions (definitions vary by supplier)
	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C
Cleaning	Washed or rinsed	Washed	Rinsed or as-is
Bottle	Clear to translucent	Light haze permitted	Staining likely
Odour	None	Faint, product-typical	May be present
Prior contents	Known, benign	Known	May be unknown
Cage	Square, little rust	Sound, cosmetic dents	Cosmetic damage
Typical use	Clean-water and general storage	Industrial and agricultural	Non-potable water, waste, rough duty

Threads & adapters9 rows

The outlet thread decides which adapter you need.

Threads and adapters
Fitting	Specification	Typical use
3" butterfly	3" flange, PP body	Batch dumping, viscous liquids
2" butterfly	S60x6 outlet, EPDM seat	Standard discharge
2" camlock	S60x6 → 2″ male cam	Pump and transfer hose
2" NPT	S60x6 → 2″ male NPT	Rigid plumbing
1" camlock	S60x6 → 1″ male cam	Controlled filling
3/4" GHT	S60x6 → garden hose	Irrigation, wash-down
1/2" spigot	S60x6 → spigot	Hand filling
S60x6	60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress	Common modern outlet thread
S100x8	100 mm OD, 8 mm pitch	Older or European valves — 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 selection9 rows

General guidance only. Confirm compatibility with the product's SDS and your supplier.

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
Flavour, essence, botanical	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	Poly bottles

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

Conversions10 rows

The arithmetic that comes up daily.

Common conversions for IBC totes
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

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 — a never-filled interior on a reused frame.
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.
Reuse: Putting a container back into service instead of making a new one. It avoids the materials and energy a new container would need.

Full glossary

How quotes work

IBC Totes PA is a referral service. Send a request through the form and a partner supplier in our network follows up with pricing and availability for your area of Pennsylvania.

Request a quote

Next step

Reusing a tote avoids making a new one.

Request a quote Sell your empties