IBC ToteTexas

Reuse ledger, year to date: 41,200 totes diverted from Texas landfills this year. 2,060k lb of HDPE kept in service. 1,772k lb of steel cage recovered. 3,140 tons of CO₂e avoided. 92% of our wash water recycled on site. 68 Texas counties served from one Austin yard. Full methodology at /sustainability/reuse-ledger.

Reference

Seven grades.
Published, and
applied by the
person who washed it.

Most of the used-container industry grades by vibe, which makes comparing quotes impossible and makes 'Grade A' mean whatever the seller needs it to mean this week. Here is our system, in full, including what each grade is bad at.

Rows of used 275 gallon composite IBC totes stacked two high in an outdoor yard under a blue sky

The short answer

N is new. R is rebottled — new bottle, reconditioned cage. F is documented food grade with a W4 caustic wash record. A is clean, straight and presentable. B is sound and leak-free with visible history. C is structurally sound but cosmetically rough. X is material recovery only. Grade moves price by a factor of four across the same size, which makes it the most consequential decision on your order.

Not sure which grade?

Describe what's going in the tote and we'll name the cheapest grade that genuinely works.

We reply here, so it has to be an inbox you actually read.

US or Canadian number, 10 digits. We format it as you type.

Two-letter code or full name — checked against your postal code.

5-digit US ZIP, or a Canadian postal code like K1A 0B1.

Plain text only. Links can't be submitted through this form.

No phone number required from us — we work by email and we answer fast. Fields marked * are required.

From the yard

Tote wash line under a canopy with a recycling sign reading clean, recondition, reuse, spraying a used IBC tote
The wash pad. Every unit gets a named standard, and the water goes back round.
Outdoor tote yard beside a metal warehouse with the Texas flag flying overhead
The yard on a working Tuesday. Everything ships from one site in southeast Austin.

At a glance

All seven, side by side

Grade definitions
CodeGradeBottleCageWashDocumentationPrice index
NNewVirgin HDPE, factory sealedNew galvanized steelNot requiredManufacturer UN certification and test report100
RRebottledNew virgin HDPE bottle, FDA 21 CFR 177.1520Inspected, straightened, re-coated where neededNot applicable — bottle is newBuild record, cage origin, requalification where UN-marked55–65
FFood GradeReused HDPE, prior contents all food-grade and recordedInspected, straight, cleanW4 caustic CIP at 160°F with recorded parametersPrior-contents tag plus wash record attached to the BOL38–48
AGrade AReused HDPE, triple-rinsed, no staining that affects useStraight, minimal cosmetic marking, legible plateW2 triple rinse or W3 hot detergentPrior-contents summary on request30–38
BGrade BReused HDPE, rinsed, may show staining or discolourationSound with scuffs, minor dents, some surface rustW2 triple rinsePrior contents listed where known20–28
CGrade CReused HDPE, rinsed, stained or heavily discolouredStructurally sound; dents, rust and damaged label areas expectedW1 rinsePrior contents where known; often incomplete12–18
XRecovery OnlyCompromised — permeated, cracked or contaminatedMay be salvageable for rebottlingNot applicableRecycling manifest available on request—

N

New

Never filled. Full UN certification, full price.

Bottle

Virgin HDPE, factory sealed

Cage

New galvanized steel

Valve & lid

New, sealed, buyer's choice of thread

Wash standard

Not required

Right for

  • Regulated hazmat where you need an unbroken certification chain
  • Potable water and pharmaceutical applications
  • Specifications that explicitly prohibit reconditioned containers

Wrong for

  • Anything where a rebottled unit would do — it's twice the carbon and twice the price

Documentation: Manufacturer UN certification and test report

Price index: 100

R

Rebottled

New bottle, reconditioned cage and pallet. The honest middle.

Bottle

New virgin HDPE bottle, FDA 21 CFR 177.1520

Cage

Inspected, straightened, re-coated where needed

Valve & lid

New valve and lid

Wash standard

Not applicable — bottle is new

Right for

  • Chemical packing and distribution
  • Food and beverage where prior contents cannot be documented
  • Potable and emergency water storage

Wrong for

  • Budget jobsite duty — you are paying for a bottle you don't need

Documentation: Build record, cage origin, requalification where UN-marked

Price index: 55–65

F

Food Grade

Only ever held edible product. Documented and caustic washed.

Bottle

Reused HDPE, prior contents all food-grade and recorded

Cage

Inspected, straight, clean

Valve & lid

New valve standard, new lid

Wash standard

W4 caustic CIP at 160°F with recorded parameters

Right for

  • Syrup, oil, concentrate and sauce handling
  • Cold brew, cider and beverage batching
  • Livestock supplement and molasses

Wrong for

  • Allergen-sensitive production — rebottle instead
  • Regulated hazmat transport

Documentation: Prior-contents tag plus wash record attached to the BOL

Price index: 38–48

A

Grade A

Clean, straight, presentable. The general-purpose default.

Bottle

Reused HDPE, triple-rinsed, no staining that affects use

Cage

Straight, minimal cosmetic marking, legible plate

Valve & lid

Working valve, new gasket, lid included

Wash standard

W2 triple rinse or W3 hot detergent

Right for

  • Industrial chemical storage in dedicated service
  • Water storage where appearance matters
  • Resale-facing applications

Wrong for

  • Food contact — clean is not the same as documented

Documentation: Prior-contents summary on request

Price index: 30–38

B

Grade B

Sound and leak-free with visible history. The value pick.

Bottle

Reused HDPE, rinsed, may show staining or discolouration

Cage

Sound with scuffs, minor dents, some surface rust

Valve & lid

Working valve, gasket replaced as needed

Wash standard

W2 triple rinse

Right for

  • Ranch and irrigation water
  • Jobsite water and washout
  • Waste collection and non-critical chemical storage

Wrong for

  • Food contact
  • Anything where appearance is part of the deliverable

Documentation: Prior contents listed where known

Price index: 20–28

C

Grade C

Ugly and honest. Holds liquid, wins no prizes.

Bottle

Reused HDPE, rinsed, stained or heavily discoloured

Cage

Structurally sound; dents, rust and damaged label areas expected

Valve & lid

Working valve; may be mismatched or aftermarket

Wash standard

W1 rinse

Right for

  • Concrete washout containment
  • Consumable jobsite use
  • Second-life cutting projects — planters, beds, wash stations

Wrong for

  • Food contact
  • Chemical service
  • Anything a customer will look at

Documentation: Prior contents where known; often incomplete

Price index: 12–18

X

Recovery Only

End of service life. Material recovery, not resale.

Bottle

Compromised — permeated, cracked or contaminated

Cage

May be salvageable for rebottling

Valve & lid

Recovered where serviceable

Wash standard

Not applicable

Right for

  • HDPE granulation and steel baling
  • Cage donation into our rebottling stream

Wrong for

  • Any liquid service, at any price, for any reason

Documentation: Recycling manifest available on request

Price index: —

How to use this when comparing quotes

Ask every seller two questions: what grade is this, and what does that grade mean at your yard? A seller who answers both precisely is comparable. A seller who says “they’re all clean” is not offering you the same product, whatever the price suggests.

Then ask a third: what wash standard was applied? “Cleaned” spans a cold rinse and a caustic clean-in-place. We publish five named standards specifically so this question has an answer.

The grade that costs people money

Documented food grade, bought for applications that do not need it. It is roughly double a Grade B unit and buys you nothing if the tote is holding wash water, glycol or jobsite water. If nothing edible is involved and no auditor will ask, buy B.

The grade that costs people more than money

Grade A, bought as though it were food grade. Clean is not documented. If your process requires knowing what was in the container before, you need F-grade or rebottled, and no amount of shine substitutes.

Why we publish this at all

Publishing definitions removes our own room to manoeuvre. If a unit arrives that does not match its grade, we have written down the standard we failed. That is uncomfortable, and it is the only version of a grading system that is worth anything to a buyer.

Questions people actually ask

+Is there an industry-standard grading system?
No, and that's the problem. Every yard uses its own vocabulary and most of it is undefined. We publish ours so you can compare quotes on something more solid than adjectives — and so we can be held to it.
+Which grade do most customers buy?
Grade B, by a wide margin. It's sound, leak-free, honestly priced and adequate for water, irrigation, jobsite duty and non-critical chemical storage — which covers most of what totes actually do.
+What does the price index mean?
It's a relative figure with a new tote set at 100. A grade indexed at 20–28 costs roughly a fifth to a quarter of a new unit. Actual prices move with quantity, valve spec and freight, which is why we quote rather than publish a list.
+Can I mix grades on one order?
Yes, and many customers should. Two documented food-grade units for product contact and eight Grade B units for everything else beats paying food-grade prices across the board.
+Who assigns the grade?
The operator who washed the unit, at the point of racking, with the grade written on the intake tag. It is not applied by a salesperson looking at a photo.

Related

Next

Quick reference

Numbers worth having open in another tab

The figures that come up in almost every conversation, whichever page you arrived on.

275 gallon · 1040 L

48×40×46

Tare
130 lb
Gross, water
2,425 lb
Stack full
2 high
Stock
Always in stock

330 gallon · 1250 L

48×40×53

Tare
160 lb
Gross, water
2,915 lb
Stack full
2 high
Stock
Always in stock

264 gallon · 1000 L

48×40×46

Tare
125 lb
Gross, water
2,325 lb
Stack full
2 high
Stock
Usually in stock

350 gallon · 1325 L

48×40×56

Tare
175 lb
Gross, water
3,095 lb
Stack full
2 high
Stock
Order in

Outlet thread

S60x6 — 60 mm coarse buttress. Not 2" NPT.

Grades published

N, R, F, A, B, C, X — applied at the wash bay.

Wash standards

W1 rinse through W4 caustic CIP at 160°F.

UN retest

Leakproofness 2.5 yrs, requalification 5 yrs.

From the yard notes

Longer reading on this

32 articles written by the people who wash, grade, weld and dispatch. No marketing copy in any of them.

All 32 articles

On the yard this week

Rows of used 275 gallon composite IBC totes stacked two high in an outdoor yard under a blue sky
Graded stock on the outdoor rows, stacked two high and waiting on a grade tag.
Close-up of a single 275 gallon IBC tote showing its capacity label, UN placard and blue ball valve
A 275 with the plate, the capacity label and a standard 2-inch ball valve.

More answers

While you're here

Pulled from the full FAQ, which runs to forty-plus answers across buying, grades, food safety, sizes, selling, compliance, delivery and care.

Read the full FAQ

Where we are
3505 Montopolis Dr, Austin, TX 78744
Yard hours
Mon–Thu 7:30a–5p · Fri 7:30a–4p · Sat 8a–12p · Sun closed (Central Time)
Coverage
68 Texas counties on scheduled routes, from one Austin yard.

+What do your grades mean?
N is new, R is rebottled, F is documented food grade, A is clean and presentable, B is sound with visible history, C is structurally sound but cosmetically rough, and X is material recovery only. Full definitions are on the grades page and they are applied by the person who washed the unit.
+How do I tell if a used tote is sound?
Check five points: cage welds at the base corners, the bottle around the outlet, the valve seat, the lid gasket and the pallet feet. Those account for nearly every problem we see at intake. The 48-point inspection checklist covers the systematic version.
+Are stained totes a problem?
Cosmetically yes, functionally usually not. Staining is a strong signal about prior contents, which is why stained units drop a grade, but a stained bottle holds liquid exactly as well as a clear one. It does make the level strip harder to read.
+What's the difference between Grade A and food grade?
Documentation. Grade A means clean, straight and presentable. Food grade means every prior content is recorded and edible, and the unit was washed to a documented standard. A shiny tote is not a food-grade tote.
+Which grade should I buy?
The cheapest one that genuinely does the job. For water and general industrial duty that's usually B. For anything edible it's F or rebottled. For regulated chemical shipping it's rebottled with valid UN marking. For washout containment and cutting projects it's C.

Name a grade on your next request.

Or describe the application and let us name it. Either way, the grade is what determines your price — it's worth thirty seconds of precision.

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