IBC tote grades explained
There is no national grading authority for used IBC totes. Every seller invents their own letters — which is exactly why you should read the definition, not the letter.
Resources
The library
Eight long reads, a forty-one answer FAQ and a glossary — written by graders, fabricators and drivers rather than a content agency.
- Sheet
- 43
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
8Long reads
41FAQ answers
60+Glossary terms
0Gated downloads
Everything we have written down
Is this tote actually food grade?
You cannot determine food-grade status by looking at a tote. You can, however, rule one out in about ninety seconds — and that is usually the more useful skill.
Rainwater harvesting with IBC totes
A 275-gallon tote under a downspout is the highest-leverage thing you can do with a used container. It is also the build most people get wrong in four specific places.
The triple rinse, done properly
Most 'triple rinsed' totes have been hosed three times. A real triple rinse is a procedure with a volume, a temperature, a contact time and a record.
Shipping & stacking IBC totes
Totes fail in predictable ways when they are shipped badly: bulged sumps, popped welds, crushed lower bottles. Every one of those failures traces back to one of five decisions.
Reading the UN code on your IBC
The block of characters on the cage plate is the container's passport. Four characters tell you what it is; the rest tell you what it is allowed to carry and until when.
Used vs new: the honest math
Used totes are cheaper. That is not the interesting part. The interesting part is cost per fill over the container's remaining life — where the ranking sometimes flips.
Winterizing IBC totes
Water expands about 9% when it freezes, and an IBC bottle does not. Every spring we take in totes that spent one bad February learning this.
Because the alternative is answering it forty times a week
Every article here started as an email a grader got tired of retyping. They are written by the crew that does the work, they contain the numbers we actually use, and none of them end in a sales pitch — though several end in a reason not to buy something.
Reading paths by what you are trying to do
I am buying containers for the first time
Grades explained, then the used vs new cost comparison, then the grading standard. Half an hour, and it will save you a grade band you did not need to pay for.
I have empties and no idea what they are worth
Grades explained, then the Loop Lab, then the inspection and grading service page. Photo grading comes back inside a day.
I need food-grade containers
Is it food grade, then the four-document article, then the food-grade product page. If your plan requires virgin material, stop at the first one.
I am building something out of a tote
The rainwater harvesting guide for the sizing arithmetic, the manifolding article for the geometry, and the fabrication page for anything you would rather not cut yourself.
I have to write a specification
The grading standard, the UN marking reference, and the procurement specification article, which lists the three clauses that backfire.
I need numbers for a report
The impact calculator for the figures, the methodology section underneath it, then the circular standard and the latest annual report.
| Resource | Format | Length | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long reads | Articles | 6–11 min each | Understanding a decision before you make it |
| The yard log | 38 blog posts | 7–9 min each | What actually happens operationally |
| FAQ | 41 answers | Skim | A specific question, fast |
| Glossary | 61 terms | Reference | Reading somebody else's spec sheet |
| Size library | Tables | Reference | Dimensions, weights, threads, ratings |
| Loop Lab | Interactive | 2 min | Matching a container to its next life |
| Impact calculator | Interactive | 2 min | CO₂e, water, energy and landfill figures |
| UN decoder | Interactive | 1 min | Reading the plate on your own cage |
How we write this stuff
- Nothing is gated. No email wall, no download form, no 'contact us to learn more' where a number would do.
- Every figure has its basis next to it, or it does not get published.
- Written by the people who do the work — graders, the wash bay lead, the fabricator, a driver. Not an agency.
- If the honest answer is 'do not buy this from us', the article says that. Several of them do.
- We leave the mistakes in. The 2017 diversion failure, the Grade C sales problem and the serialisation overrun are all written up with the numbers.
- Corrections are made in place with a note, not quietly.
Something missing?
Most of these started as a question somebody got tired of retyping. Put yours in the form and it may well become the next one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the guides and downloads on this site really free to read?
Yes. The resource library is not gated, so there is no email wall or download form. Every figure is published with its basis next to it. If you want something that is not listed, you can ask for it through the form.
Who actually writes the articles in the library?
The people who do the work write them: graders, the wash bay lead, the fabricator and drivers. The site says they are not written by an agency, and they contain the numbers the yard actually uses day to day.
Which resource should I read first if I have never bought a used tote?
Start with the grades explained article, then the used versus new cost comparison, then the grading standard. The site describes this as about half an hour of reading that helps you avoid paying for a grade band you do not need.
What if I need information that is not in the library?
Put your question in the form. Most articles started as a question someone got tired of retyping, so yours may become the next one. Corrections to existing pieces are made in place with a note, not quietly.
Is there a quick way to find the dimensions, weights and thread sizes?
Yes. The size library collects dimensions, weights, threads, pallet types and ratings in tables you can read on a phone. The glossary also explains terms like buttress thread, heel and rebottle if a spec sheet confuses you.