Grade B 275 gal · 3 days build
The Rain Harvester
The build we sell most. A reused tote, an opaque wrap, a first-flush diverter and an overflow that will not drown your foundation.
See the build →Products / upcycled builds
Containers with a second career
Five builds we make constantly, all of them on containers that failed grading for product service and would otherwise have gone to the granulator.
- Sheet
- 86
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
5Standard builds
2–10Day lead time
100%Reused base containers
1Minimum order
Food-grade 275 gal · 5 days build
The Aquaponics Bed
One tote, cut horizontally, becomes a grow bed and a fish tank with the cage holding both. It is the most elegant thing you can do with a used container.
See the build →Grade C 275 gal · 2 days build
The Raised Planter
Cut a tote at 18 inches, keep the cage as the frame, drill the drainage, and you have a raised bed that will outlive three wooden ones.
See the build →Grade C 330 gal · 4 days build
The Storage Locker
Keep the cage, lose the bottle. What is left is a stackable, forkliftable, weather-vented locker that costs a fraction of a shed.
See the build →Grade A 275 gal · 10 days build
The Fuel Transfer Station
Our most involved build and the one with the most rules attached. A Grade A tote, a proper pump package, and a conversation about your local fire code before anything gets cut.
See the build →We only upcycle containers that cannot go back into product service
Cutting up a perfectly good tote is vandalism dressed as sustainability. Every build on this page starts from a container that failed grading for product duty — stained beyond documentation, solvent-exposed, cracked, or cage-only.
- Reuse as-is — if a container can still carry product, it does. No exceptions, no cutting.
- Rebottle — if only the bottle is finished, the cage and pallet get a new one.
- Repurpose — this page. Containers that will never carry product again, given a decade of new work.
- Recycle — what is left after the fab bay is done: offcuts, bottles, hardware.
Want something that is not on this page?
The fab bay reads napkin sketches. Send a photo of a drawing and you will get a parts list and a fixed price back.
Five builds, side by side
| Build | Base container | Price from | Lead time | Weight filled | Needs a freeze plan? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain Harvester | Grade B 275 gal | $185 | 3 days | 2,290 lb | Yes — drain or heat |
| Aquaponics Bed | Food-grade 275 gal | $320 | 5 days | 2,100 lb | Indoors or greenhouse |
| Raised Planter | Grade C 275 gal | $140 | 2 days | ~1,400 lb soil | No |
| Storage Locker | Grade C 330 gal cage | $210 | 4 days | Varies | No |
| Fuel Transfer Station | Grade A 275 gal | $690 | 10 days | 2,075 lb | Yes — fuel and pump |
- Every build starts from a container that failed grading for product service. Cutting up a sound container would be vandalism dressed as sustainability.
- A filled 275 weighs over a ton. Decide the stand height before the first fill, because nobody has ever lifted a full one to put something underneath it.
- Anything holding water outdoors in Illinois needs a drain plan by late October. The valve body is the first thing you lose.
- We will not build potable drinking water systems or gasoline storage, at any price. Both are listed on the fabrication page with the reasoning.
Setting one up properly
01
Prepare the base
Concrete, pavers or a welded stand — never bare soil or gravel. A ton of water on soft ground sinks unevenly and twists the cage.
02
Decide the height first
Gravity head for a hose needs 24 inches or more. Retrofitting a stand under a full container is not a job that exists.
03
Plumb before you fill
Every fitting, overflow and isolation valve goes on dry. Test with fifty gallons before you commit to a full tank.
04
Exclude light
Paint, wrap or shade anything holding water. Light plus nutrients equals algae within three weeks on a natural bottle.
05
Write the winter plan on the tank
Literally. A marker line and a date on the side of the container is why ours survive and other people's split.
Can I collect a build from the yard?
Yes, by appointment. Bring straps — a finished build is more awkward than a plain container and the fittings do not appreciate being bounced.
Do you ship builds outside the radius?
Yes, by common carrier, crated where the fittings need protecting. Freight is quoted separately because a plumbed build is not a stackable pallet any more.
Can I modify one afterwards?
It is yours — go ahead. If you tell us what you are planning we will usually leave a port where you want it rather than you drilling into a bulkhead you cannot see.
What maintenance do these need?
Clear the inlet screen and empty the first-flush diverter seasonally, check fittings annually, and drain before the first hard freeze. A harvester nobody services becomes a mosquito nursery.
Is there a warranty?
On our fabrication, yes — if a joint we made leaks, we fix it. On the base container, it is sold as the grade it is, which for these builds is deliberately a container with no product-service life left.