Buy & Sell IBC Totes
Whether you have surplus IBC tanks taking up yard space or need affordable containers for your operation, we make the buying and selling process fast, fair, and environmentally responsible. Every container that changes hands through us is one more kept out of the landfill.
Massive inventory ready for immediate purchase and delivery
How Buying & Selling Works
We've streamlined the entire process so you can focus on running your business. No middlemen, no hidden fees, no hassle.
For Sellers
Request a Pickup
Tell us how many IBC totes you have, their condition, and your location. We respond with a quote within 24 hours.
Inspection & Grading
Our team inspects each container on-site or upon arrival at our facility. We grade them as A, B, or C based on structural integrity, cleanliness, and remaining lifespan.
Fair Payment
You receive payment based on the grade and quantity. We pay within 7 business days via check, ACH, or wire transfer. No surprises, no deductions.
Free Pickup
We handle all the logistics. Free pickup is available within 200 miles of our Louisville facility, and we offer competitive rates nationwide.
For Buyers
Browse Our Inventory
Explore our selection of used, reconditioned, and new IBC totes. Filter by size (275 or 330 gallon), grade, and food-grade certification.
Get a Custom Quote
Need specific quantities or configurations? Contact us for a tailored quote. We work with orders from a single tote to full truckloads of 56+ units.
Place Your Order
Confirm your order by phone, email, or through our contact form. We accept purchase orders from established businesses and offer net-30 terms for qualified accounts.
Fast Delivery
We ship nationwide with same-week delivery available for in-stock items. Full truckloads ship direct; smaller orders go via LTL freight with careful palletizing.
Fair Prices, No Surprises
Our pricing is based on container condition, quantity, and market rates. We publish our general price ranges so you always know what to expect.
Grade A
- Clean, single-use containers
- No structural damage
- Food-grade available
- Full valve functionality
Grade B
- Light cosmetic wear
- Structurally sound
- May need minor cleaning
- Standard valve condition
Grade C
- Visible wear and staining
- May have minor dents
- Non-food-grade use only
- Ideal for non-critical storage
Volume Discounts
The more you buy or sell, the better the deal. Our tiered volume pricing rewards businesses that work with us regularly, making bulk transactions significantly more cost-effective than one-off purchases.
Why Sell to Us Instead of Disposal?
Get Paid, Not Charged
Disposal companies charge you to haul away IBC tanks. We pay you for them. Turn a cost center into a revenue stream.
Zero Environmental Liability
When you sell to us, we handle all proper cleaning, recycling, and documentation. You avoid potential environmental liability from improper disposal.
Sustainability Reporting
We provide certificates of recycling and diversion reports that you can use for your ESG and sustainability reporting requirements.
Free Up Space
Stop storing empty containers that take up valuable warehouse or yard space. We pick them up on your schedule and pay you on the spot.
Help the Planet
Every IBC tote sold to us instead of scrapped prevents approximately 130 lbs of plastic and 65 lbs of steel from entering the waste stream.
Industry-Specific Use Cases
Our buy and sell marketplace serves businesses across dozens of industries. Here are some of the most common scenarios where companies turn to us for affordable, reliable IBC tote sourcing and surplus liquidation.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing
Breweries, juice processors, syrup producers, and sauce manufacturers buy food-grade reconditioned IBC totes at a fraction of new container costs. Many also sell back their single-use totes after emptying incoming ingredients, creating a cost-neutral cycle.
Agriculture & Farming
Farms and agricultural co-ops use IBC totes for fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, and liquid feed storage. Buying used totes saves thousands compared to new purchases, and selling empties after each growing season recovers additional value.
Chemical Distribution
Chemical distributors and blenders need a constant supply of compatible containers for repackaging, blending, and shipping. Our graded inventory lets them match container quality to product requirements while keeping costs predictable.
Water Treatment & Environmental
Municipal water treatment plants, private water haulers, and environmental remediation companies use IBC totes for water storage, chemical dosing, and waste containment. Used totes are an ideal, cost-effective solution for these applications.
Construction & Concrete
Construction sites use IBC totes for dust suppression water, concrete admixtures, curing compounds, and equipment wash stations. Buying used totes keeps project costs low while providing durable, forklift-compatible liquid storage.
Cannabis & Hemp Processing
Licensed cannabis and hemp processors use IBC totes for extraction solvents, nutrient solutions, and finished product storage. Food-grade reconditioned totes meet regulatory requirements at significantly lower cost than new containers.
Our Grading & Quality Process
Transparency is the foundation of our marketplace. Here is exactly how we inspect, grade, and prepare every IBC tote that passes through our facility.
Intake Documentation
Every container that arrives at our facility is photographed, weighed, and entered into our tracking system. We record the previous contents (from SDS sheets or labels), the seller information, and the date of receipt. This creates a complete chain of custody from the moment the tote enters our possession.
Structural Inspection
Our trained inspectors examine each tote for structural integrity. The HDPE bottle is checked for cracks, UV degradation, warping, and wall thickness. The galvanized steel cage is examined for rust, bent bars, broken welds, and latch function. The pallet base is tested for load-bearing capacity, rot, and cracks. Any tote that fails structural inspection is diverted to our recycling program.
Residue Assessment
We identify and categorize the residual contents inside each tote. This determines whether the container can be cleaned for food-grade reuse, general industrial reuse, or must be recycled. Containers that held hazardous materials are handled according to EPA RCRA guidelines. We maintain a database of over 3,000 chemical compatibility profiles to ensure safe reuse.
Grade Assignment
Based on the structural inspection and residue assessment, each tote is assigned a grade. Grade A containers are in like-new condition with minimal wear, suitable for food-grade cleaning. Grade B containers have light cosmetic wear but are structurally sound, ideal for general industrial use. Grade C containers show visible wear but remain functional for non-critical applications. Each grade has clear, objective criteria that eliminate subjectivity from the process.
Cleaning & Preparation
Containers destined for resale are cleaned using the appropriate method for their grade and intended use. Grade A food-grade totes receive our full FDA-compliant cleaning process with bacterial testing. Grade B and C containers receive pressure washing and exterior cleaning. New valves, gaskets, and caps are installed on every tote regardless of grade.
Final Quality Check
Before any tote is listed for sale or shipped to a buyer, it passes a final quality check. We verify valve function, lid seal, structural integrity, and cleanliness. Every tote is labeled with its grade, cleaning date, and a unique tracking number. If a container does not meet our standards at any point, it is rejected from resale and routed to recycling.
What Affects IBC Tote Pricing
IBC tote prices fluctuate based on several factors. Understanding these variables helps you budget accurately and time your purchases or sales for maximum value.
Container Condition & Grade
The single biggest factor in pricing. Grade A (like-new) containers command the highest prices because they can be used for food-grade and sensitive applications. Grade C containers are priced lower but are perfectly functional for non-critical storage. The difference between grades can be $50-$100 per unit.
Grade A: $120-$180 | Grade B: $75-$120 | Grade C: $40-$75
Volume & Order Size
Buying or selling in bulk significantly improves per-unit economics. A single tote purchase costs more per unit than a full truckload of 56. Our volume discount tiers start at 10 units and scale to 15% off for full truckloads. Recurring monthly orders receive custom pricing that can be even more favorable.
5-15% savings on orders of 10+ units
Food-Grade Certification
Containers that have been cleaned and certified to FDA food-grade standards carry a premium over general industrial-grade totes. The additional cleaning, testing, and documentation required to achieve food-grade certification adds approximately $25-$50 to the per-unit cost.
Food-grade premium: +$25-$50 per unit
Shipping Distance & Method
Transportation costs vary significantly based on distance and shipping method. Local pickup within 200 miles of Louisville is free for sellers. LTL freight for smaller orders typically runs $50-$150 per tote depending on distance. Full truckloads are the most economical for long distances at $2-$4 per mile.
Local: Free | LTL: $50-$150/unit | FTL: $2-$4/mile
Container Size
Standard IBC totes come in 275-gallon and 330-gallon sizes. The 330-gallon size typically costs $10-$25 more per unit due to the additional material. Both sizes fit the same pallet footprint, so shipping costs remain identical regardless of capacity.
330-gallon premium: +$10-$25 over 275-gallon
Market Conditions & Seasonality
IBC tote prices are influenced by broader market conditions including virgin HDPE resin prices, steel scrap rates, and seasonal demand cycles. Spring and summer tend to see higher demand (and prices) from agricultural buyers. Winter months often offer the best buying opportunities due to lower demand.
Seasonal variation: 5-15% swing between peak and off-peak
What Our Customers Say
Businesses across the country trust IBC Recycle Services for their container buying and selling needs. Here is what some of them have to say.
“We were paying a waste hauler $35 per tote to dispose of our empties. Now we sell them to IBC Recycle Services and get paid instead. We turned a $14,000 annual cost into $8,000 in revenue. The pickup process is seamless and their team is professional every time.”
Mark Henderson
Operations Manager
Tri-State Chemical Supply, Cincinnati, OH
“We buy 200+ reconditioned IBC totes per year for our craft beverage production. The quality of the food-grade cleaned units from IBC Recycle Services is outstanding. Every tote passes our QC inspection, and the price is about 60% less than buying new. Our account manager makes reordering effortless.”
Sarah Kim
Procurement Director
Bluegrass Beverage Co., Lexington, KY
“As a small farm, we do not have the budget for brand new IBC containers. IBC Recycle Services sells us Grade B totes for our fertilizer storage at prices we can actually afford. They delivered 12 totes right to our farm gate in under a week. Could not be happier.”
James Whitfield
Owner
Whitfield Family Farms, Evansville, IN
“We had 340 empty IBC totes sitting in our yard taking up space we needed for production expansion. IBC Recycle Services picked them all up in three truckloads, graded them fairly, and had payment in our account within a week. They cleared out a problem we had been ignoring for months.”
Diana Reyes
Plant Manager
Southern Coatings Inc., Nashville, TN
“The transparency in their pricing is what won us over. Other buyers gave us vague quotes over the phone and then lowballed us on-site. IBC Recycle Services graded our totes exactly as described and paid the quoted price. No games, no surprises. We have been selling to them monthly for two years now.”
Robert Chen
Logistics Coordinator
Great Lakes Soap & Detergent, Cleveland, OH
“We needed 56 food-grade IBC totes for a new production line with only two weeks lead time. IBC Recycle Services had them in stock, cleaned to FDA spec, and delivered by the end of the following week. Their responsiveness saved our product launch timeline.”
Angela Morrison
VP of Manufacturing
Natural Harvest Foods, Louisville, KY
The Environmental Impact of Buying Used
Every used IBC tote that gets a second life through our marketplace represents a measurable reduction in environmental harm. Here is what the numbers look like.
130 lbs
Plastic saved per reused tote
65 lbs
Steel kept from landfill per tote
88%
Less energy vs. virgin plastic production
58%
Fewer CO2 emissions vs. new steel
The Carbon Math of Reuse
Manufacturing a new IBC tote from virgin materials produces approximately 180 kg of CO2 equivalent emissions. This includes extracting and refining crude oil into HDPE resin, mining and smelting iron ore into galvanized steel, and harvesting and processing timber for the pallet base.
When you buy a used or reconditioned tote through our marketplace instead of a new one, you avoid nearly all of that embodied carbon. The only emissions associated with a reused tote are the modest energy costs of cleaning, inspection, and transportation.
For a business that uses 100 IBC totes per year, switching from new to reconditioned containers eliminates approximately 16 metric tons of CO2annually — the equivalent of taking 3.5 passenger cars off the road.
Circular Economy in Action
Our buy-and-sell marketplace is a working example of the circular economy. Instead of the traditional linear model (manufacture, use, dispose), IBC totes in our system follow a circular path: use, sell, clean, resell, use again. A single IBC tote can go through 5 to 8 life cycles before it reaches end-of-life and enters our materials recycling program.
Even when a tote finally reaches the end of its useful life, our recycling program recovers 95% of the materials. HDPE is pelletized for new plastic products, steel is melted and reforged, and wood is reused or converted to biomass fuel. Nothing is wasted.
We provide every customer with a sustainability report documenting the environmental impact of their transactions. These reports can be used for ESG disclosures, corporate sustainability goals, and regulatory compliance documentation.
Where We Operate
Based in Louisville, KY, we buy and sell IBC totes across the entire continental United States. Our location in the center of the eastern US gives us efficient access to the highest concentration of industrial and manufacturing facilities.
Free Pickup Zone
Within 200 miles of Louisville, KY
KY, IN (south), OH (southwest), TN (north), WV (west)
No minimum order for free pickup. Same-week service available.
Primary Service Area
Midwest & Southeast
KY, IN, OH, TN, IL, MI, GA, AL, SC, NC, VA, WV, MO
Regular weekly routes. 1-3 day transit. Competitive flat-rate shipping.
Extended Coverage
Northeast & Great Plains
PA, NY, NJ, CT, MA, MD, DE, MN, IA, WI, KS, NE, AR
LTL and FTL service through our carrier network. 2-4 day transit.
National Coverage
West & Southwest
TX, CO, AZ, CA, NV, UT, OR, WA, NM, OK, FL, LA, MS
Full truckload service nationwide. 3-5 day transit. Volume discounts.
Logistics Details
For Sellers
We pick up on your schedule. Most pickups are completed within 5 business days of quote acceptance. Our trucks carry straps, edge protectors, and loading equipment. Just have your totes accessible by forklift and we handle the rest. We can pick up from loading docks, open yards, warehouses, or farm fields.
For Buyers
In-stock items ship within 1-3 business days. Full truckloads go direct on dedicated trailers. LTL orders are carefully palletized and shrink-wrapped for safe transit. We provide tracking numbers on every shipment and proactive delivery notifications. Liftgate delivery is available for locations without loading docks.
Payment & Terms
Sellers receive payment within 7 business days via check, ACH, or wire transfer. Buyers can pay by credit card, ACH, wire, or purchase order. Net-30 terms are available for qualified business accounts with established credit. We also accept trade-ins where you can sell your empties and apply the credit toward new purchases.
Common Misconceptions About Used IBC Totes
Many businesses hesitate to buy or sell used IBC containers due to myths and misunderstandings. Let us set the record straight.
Used IBC totes are unsanitary and cannot be used for food-grade applications.
Our FDA-compliant cleaning process restores used totes to food-grade condition. Every food-grade reconditioned tote passes bacterial swab testing and receives a certificate of compliance. Many major food and beverage manufacturers rely on reconditioned totes for their operations.
Selling used IBC totes is more hassle than it is worth.
We make selling effortless. Request a quote online or by phone, accept the offer, and we pick up for free within 200 miles. Payment arrives within 7 business days. No paperwork, no sorting, no cleaning required on your end. We do it all.
Used containers are structurally compromised and will leak.
Every container we sell undergoes rigorous structural inspection and is graded accordingly. Grade A and B containers are structurally sound with full valve function and leak-free performance. We replace gaskets, caps, and valves on every unit. Our warranty covers defects for 90 days after purchase.
It is cheaper to dispose of empty IBC totes than to sell them.
Disposal companies charge $25-$50 per tote for pickup and proper disposal. When you sell to us, you get paid $5-$70 per tote depending on condition. That is a swing of $30-$120 per container. For a business generating 100 empties per year, that is $3,000-$12,000 in recovered value.
All used IBC totes are the same quality and price.
IBC totes vary dramatically in condition, size, previous contents, and remaining lifespan. Our transparent grading system (A, B, C) gives buyers clear quality tiers with published price ranges. You always know exactly what you are getting and what you are paying.
You need to buy a full truckload to get good prices.
While full truckload orders get the best per-unit pricing, we sell individual totes and small quantities at competitive prices. Orders as small as a single tote are welcome. Volume discounts start at just 10 units, making better pricing accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about buying or selling IBC totes? Here are answers to the questions we hear most often.
What condition do my IBC totes need to be in for you to buy them?
We buy IBC totes in virtually any condition. Grade A containers in like-new condition bring the highest prices, but we also purchase Grade B (moderate wear) and Grade C (significant wear) containers. Even severely damaged totes have value through our recycling program. The only containers we cannot accept are those that held radioactive materials or specific EPA-banned substances. Contact us with details about your containers and we will provide a quote regardless of condition.
How quickly can I receive IBC totes after placing an order?
In-stock items ship within 1-3 business days of order confirmation. For locations in the Midwest and Southeast, delivery typically takes 1-3 additional days. Northeast deliveries take 2-4 days, and West Coast deliveries take 3-5 days. Expedited shipping is available for urgent orders. Full truckload orders of in-stock items can often ship same-day. For custom orders or large quantities that exceed our current inventory, lead times may be 1-2 weeks.
Do you offer a warranty on used IBC totes?
Yes. Every IBC tote we sell carries a 90-day warranty against structural defects, valve failure, and leakage under normal use conditions. If a container does not perform as graded, we will replace it at no cost or issue a full refund including shipping. Food-grade certified containers are additionally warranted to meet FDA cleanliness standards at the time of delivery. Our warranty does not cover damage from misuse, chemical incompatibility, or physical abuse after delivery.
What is the minimum order quantity for buyers?
There is no minimum order quantity. We happily sell single totes to individual customers and small businesses. However, per-unit pricing improves with volume. Volume discount tiers begin at 10 units (5% off), increase at 26 units (10% off), and reach the best pricing at 57+ units for a full truckload (15% off plus free shipping). For businesses with recurring needs, we offer custom pricing agreements that can match or beat truckload rates at lower volumes.
Can I sell IBC totes that still have residual product inside?
Yes, in most cases. We accept containers with residual product remaining, provided the contents are identified on an SDS (Safety Data Sheet). Our team is trained and equipped to handle containers with residual chemicals, food products, and industrial fluids. We will drain, clean, and properly dispose of residual contents as part of our reconditioning process. For containers with hazardous residuals, additional handling fees may apply, but we will always provide a transparent quote upfront.
Do you buy IBC totes that are damaged or missing parts?
Yes. Damaged IBC totes, containers missing valves or lids, and even completely disassembled components (bottles, cages, pallets separately) all have value. Damaged containers are priced at the lower end of our Grade C range or at recycling value, but they are never worthless. The HDPE plastic alone is worth money as recyclable material. Contact us with photos or descriptions of your damaged containers for a fair quote.
How do you handle payment for sellers?
Sellers receive payment within 7 business days of pickup. We offer three payment methods: company check (mailed), ACH direct deposit (electronic), and wire transfer (for large transactions). The payment amount is based on the grade and quantity confirmed during on-site or facility inspection. We provide a written purchase agreement before pickup that documents the agreed pricing, so there are no surprises. For recurring sellers with monthly pickups, we can arrange same-day payment or weekly settlement schedules.
Can I visit your facility to inspect containers before buying?
Absolutely. Our Louisville, KY facility is open for buyer visits Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern. We welcome customers to walk our inventory, inspect containers, and hand-select specific units if they prefer. Will-call pickup is also available for local buyers who want to load totes on their own trucks. Please call ahead to schedule a visit so we can have your desired inventory ready for viewing.
Related Services
Our buy and sell marketplace is just one part of our complete IBC tote lifecycle management. Explore our other services to get the most value from your containers.
IBC Cleaning & Reconditioning
Need your own totes cleaned and returned? Our professional cleaning services restore used containers to like-new or food-grade condition.
Learn moreIBC Tank Recycling
End-of-life totes that cannot be resold are recycled responsibly with 95% material recovery. We handle all compliance documentation.
Learn moreTransportation & Logistics
From single totes to full truckloads, our transportation service handles nationwide pickup and delivery with optimized routing.
Learn moreCustom IBC Solutions
Need modified containers with special valves, heating systems, or industry-specific configurations? Our custom solutions team builds to spec.
Learn moreReady to Buy or Sell?
Get a free, no-obligation quote today. Whether you have one tote or a thousand, we'll make you a fair offer or find you the containers you need.