Nine services, one yard

Everything that can happen to a container between two lives.

Most suppliers sell totes. Some wash them. A few recycle them. Running all nine of these under one roof is what lets us grade honestly — because whatever condition a container arrives in, we have somewhere useful to send it.

Short answer

IBC Totes PA provides tote buy-back, reconditioning, washing, rebottling, HDPE recycling, transport, custom fabrication and fleet management from Norristown, Pennsylvania, on containers we sell and on containers you already own. Typical turnaround is 1–10 business days depending on the work.

Services: 9
Collection radius: ≈150 miles
Turnaround: 1–10 business days
Landfill: Zero, 6 years

Work order · 90-second form

Book service work

Pick the service, tell us the quantity and the previous contents, and we'll come back with scope and price.

The nine

Pick the one that matches what you're holding.

Each page states the scope, what we will not do, and roughly what it costs — because a service page without a number is just an advertisement.

We buy your totes

Cash or credit for empties, by the pallet or the truckload, collected within about 150 miles of Norristown.

Open

Reconditioning

Wash, straighten, de-rust, replace valves and bases, leak test and re-mark. Your asset stays yours.

Open

Washing & decontamination

Triple rinse through hot caustic and CIP, matched to the actual residue rather than a default cycle.

Open

Rebottling

A new HDPE bottle into your proven cage, with your serials preserved and the old bottle granulated.

Open

HDPE recycling & regrind

Cut, wash, granulate. Clean regrind to processors, steel to a mill, zero landfill for six years running.

Open

Transport & logistics

Flatbeds, dry vans and drop trailers across six states, plus brokered long-haul.

Open

Custom fabrication

Cut, weld, plumb, paint. Bottom drains, manifolds, stands, jackets and one-off builds from a sketch.

Open

Tote fleet management

Serialised tracking, scheduled returns, wash cycles and a quarterly reuse report for your ESG file.

Open

Triage

What happens to a container the day it arrives here.

Every unit runs the same decision tree, in the same order, best outcome first. Landfill is not on the tree.

01
Log and photograph
Serial, manufacture plate, UN marking, original label and prior-contents record captured at the gate before the tote comes off the truck.
02
Can it go straight back out?
Sound cage, clear bottle, documented benign prior contents. A rinse, a new gasket, a leak test and it is Grade A stock the same week.
03
Can it be washed into service?
Residue identified, wash cycle selected — cold rinse, hot caustic, degreasing or CIP. Emerges as Grade A or B depending on what the bottle looks like afterwards.
04
Can it be rebottled?
Bottle hazed, cracked or odour-retentive but cage sound. New bottle in, old bottle to the granulation line, unit re-marked where required.
05
Can the cage be salvaged?
Bottle beyond saving and frame worth keeping. Cage enters rebottling stock for somebody else's unit; base repaired or replaced.
06
Granulate and mill
Structurally finished. HDPE cut, washed and granulated into clean regrind; steel baled to a mill. Both re-enter manufacturing as feedstock.

Scope and price

What each service runs, roughly.

Real quotes depend on residue, condition and quantity. These are the bands we work inside.

Service scope and typical pricing, 2026
Service	Typical unit	Price band	Turnaround	Minimum
Buy-back (we pay you)	per tote	$15 – $85 paid	Collection within 2 weeks	12 units for collection
Triple rinse	per tote	$18 – $28	1–2 days	1 at yard
Hot caustic wash	per tote	$35 – $55	1–3 days	1 at yard
Degreasing cycle	per tote	$45 – $70	2–3 days	1 at yard
Valve + gasket replacement	per tote	$22 – $38	Same day	1 at yard
Rebottle (your cage)	per tote	$135 – $185	3–7 days	1, break at 25
Cage straighten & recoat	per tote	$40 – $75	5–10 days	6 units
Base replacement	per tote	$45 – $80	5–10 days	1
HDPE granulation	per lb	Quoted on volume	Ongoing	Truckload
Transport	per mile / per load	Quoted by corridor	Weekly routes	—
Custom fabrication	per build	From $180	5–12 days	1
Fleet management	per tote / month	Quoted on fleet size	Ongoing	50 units

Service questions

Scope and logistics.

For whole-fleet arrangements, see fleet management.

Services — FAQ

Do I have to buy totes from you to use your services?

No. Roughly a third of our service work is performed on containers the customer already owns and keeps owning — wash, rebottle, repair, re-mark, return. Your serials come back to you. We are equally happy being a processor rather than a supplier.

What is the minimum quantity for service work?

One container for washing or a valve swap if you bring it to the yard. For collection work we prefer twelve or more, which is what makes a truck movement sensible. Under twelve within about 40 miles of Norristown we can often fit you into an existing route — ask.

How quickly can you turn work around?

Washing and valve work, one to three business days. Rebottling, three to seven. Reconditioning with cage repair, five to ten. Custom fabrication, five to twelve. Collections are scheduled weekly by corridor, so the lead time is usually about getting a truck past you rather than the work itself.

Do you handle hazardous residues?

We handle a defined list of non-hazardous and mildly hazardous residues under our permits, and we decline the rest plainly rather than accepting and subcontracting. Send the SDS with your enquiry. If it is outside our scope we will tell you which kind of processor you actually need, at no charge.

Mixed white and black IBC totes outside a shipping and receiving building, stacked two and three high

The yard

Nine services, one gate

By the numbers

The figures behind this page.

A yard that can only sell containers has to describe every container as saleable. Running all nine of these is what makes an honest grade possible.

9: services under one roof; Which is what lets us grade honestly
11%: of offered loads refused; And referred on, at no charge
1–10: business days turnaround; Washing in one; cage work in ten
⅓: of service work on customers' own assets; Serials preserved, never pooled with our stock

Reference

The detail, in full.

What each service costs, and what it does not include
Service	Unit	Price band	Includes	Does not include
Triple rinse	per tote	$18–$28	3 fill/drain, new gasket	Caustic, sanitising
Hot caustic wash	per tote	$35–$55	Pre-rinse, caustic, rinse to neutral, gasket	Sanitising rinse
Degreasing cycle	per tote	$45–$70	Surfactant package, two rinses, gasket	Caustic step
Valve + gasket swap	per tote	$22–$38	New 2" valve, gasket, torque to spec	Lid replacement
Rebottle, your cage	per tote	$135–$185	New bottle, fittings, leak test, photos	Cage straightening
Cage straighten & recoat	per tote	$40–$75	Hydraulic jig, de-rust, conversion coat	Weld repair
Base replacement	per tote	$45–$80	Steel or composite base, fitted	—
UN 31HA1 re-marking	per tote	$35	Assembly test, documentation, plate	Any repair needed to pass
Custom fabrication	per build	from $180	Design, build, test, photographs	Site installation
Transport	per load	quoted	Securement, corridor scheduling	Liftgate (quoted separately)

Turnaround, minimums and what governs the lead time
Service	Turnaround	Minimum	Governed by
Washing	1–3 days	1 at the yard	Wash line queue; doubles in April
Valve and gasket work	Same day	1 at the yard	Nothing — it is a bench job
Rebottling	3–7 days	1, break at 25	Bottle profile availability
Full reconditioning	5–10 days	6 units	Cage jig and coating cure time
Custom fabrication	5–12 days	1	Shop queue and parts
HDPE granulation	Ongoing	Truckload	Line scheduling
Collection	Within 2 weeks	12 units off-corridor	Getting a truck past you
Fleet onboarding	2–4 weeks	50 units	Serialising the existing fleet

Straight answers

When to use us as a processor rather than a supplier.

About a third of our service work is performed on containers the customer owns and keeps owning.

Send us your own containers when

Your containers are asset-tagged or under a customer deposit scheme and the serials matter.
The cage is sound and only the bottle is tired — rebottling beats replacement on cost and carbon.
You need a documented wash record for an audit rather than just a clean container.
You want UN re-marking on an assembly that genuinely passes inspection.
You have a fleet large enough that losses, not purchases, are the real cost.

Buy replacements instead when

Speed is the binding constraint — used replacements ship in one to three days against five to ten.
The cage has structural corrosion through the tube wall; that is a mill job, not a repair.
The frame is racked more than about an inch out of square.
The residue is outside our permitted list — we will refer you rather than accept it.
You need an industrial-history container turned into food grade. That is not a thing.

Received wisdom, examined

Four things people believe that are wrong.

“Reconditioning costs nearly as much as replacing.”

$95–$175 for a full recondition against $420–$560 for a new composite, and it keeps your serials. The only axis where replacement wins is speed.

“A service yard will take anything if you pay enough.”

We decline about one load in nine — pesticides, biocides, oxidisers, aromatic solvents, anything needing specialist rinsate treatment. We refer them on free rather than accept and subcontract.

“Washing is washing.”

The cycle follows the residue. Sugars need hot caustic at 148–156 °F; oils need degreasing; surfactants need extended rinse and defoaming. A default cycle produces a container that looks clean and smells like the last product.

“You can validate a wash after the fact.”

You can inspect after the fact. Validation is the record made at the time — cycle, temperature, chemistry, operator, date, serial. An unrecorded wash did not happen as far as any auditor is concerned.

Asked and answered.

Further questions

Do you keep my containers separate from your own stock?

Entirely. Every unit is photographed against its cage plate at intake and logged to your account, and it comes back as your unit with your serial. Nothing is pooled. That is the whole point of using us as a processor rather than trading in.

What happens if a container fails inspection while you have it?

We quarantine it, photograph the failure, and tell you which criterion it failed and what the options are — usually rebottle, cage salvage or granulation with a scrap credit. We do not quietly ship a failed unit back in the load, and we do not scrap anything without asking.

Can you work to our own written procedure?

Frequently, yes. Several food and chemical customers supply a wash specification and we run to it, with the record returned in their format. Where their procedure would not achieve the result — a caustic step omitted on a sugar residue, for instance — we say so before agreeing rather than afterwards.

How do I get containers to you?

Our trucks on a scheduled corridor, your carrier to our dock, or will-call drop-off Monday to Friday 7:00 to 4:30 and Saturday mornings. For six or more units inside 150 miles we will usually collect on an existing route, and the collection often pays for itself if any of the containers are saleable.

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

Everything that can happen to a container between two lives.

Pick the one that matches what you're holding.

We buy your totes

Reconditioning

Washing & decontamination

Rebottling

HDPE recycling & regrind

Transport & logistics

Custom fabrication

Tote fleet management

What happens to a container the day it arrives here.

Log and photograph

Can it go straight back out?

Can it be washed into service?

Can it be rebottled?

Can the cage be salvaged?

Granulate and mill

What each service runs, roughly.

Scope and logistics.

Services — FAQ

The figures behind this page.

The detail, in full.

When to use us as a processor rather than a supplier.

Four things people believe that are wrong.

Asked and answered.

Further questions

Related reading.

Whole-fleet programmes

Scope and permitted residues

Where the work happens

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.