Those empties are
an asset, not a disposal problem.
We pay for used IBC totes, collect them on our own trucks where the lane allows, and leave you with a weight ticket and a signed prior-contents record. Lots from four units upward; whole yards in a day.
Get a written offer
Quantity, ZIP and what they last held is enough. A photo in the message box speeds it up considerably.
Tell us what you have.
We will tell you what it is worth.
Buying, selling, washing, hauling or recycling — one form covers all of it. Replies come from a specialist in York, PA, by email, inside one business day.
Prefer plain email? Write to info@ibctotesreco.com — include your ZIP, quantity and what the totes last held.
Send us the quantity, the ZIP code, the last product and ideally a photograph. You will get a written offer the same business day, with freight shown as its own line. Lots of 20 or more inside our lanes are collected at our cost. Payment is by ACH within five business days of weight-and-count confirmation.
What drives the price up
- Edible prior service, documented. A tote that held juice concentrate is worth multiples of one that held crop protection, because it can re-enter food service.
- Clear bottle, no ghosting. Clarity is the single most visible grade driver and the first thing an inspector looks at against a backlight.
- Square cage, sound welds. A straight cage can carry three more bottles. A twisted one is scrap steel.
- Steel or composite pallet. Timber pallets in outdoor storage are the most common reason a lot drops a grade.
- Valve present and working. Seized or missing valves mean parts and labour before the unit can even be tested.
- Labels removed or intact and legible. Oddly, both are good — what costs money is a half-torn label obscuring the UN plate.
- Quantity on one accessible site. Twenty units on a paved pad beats forty scattered across three buildings.
And what drives it down
- Pigments, resins, adhesives and anything that plasticises the wall.
- Years of unshaded UV exposure — chalky, stiff, stress-whitened bottles.
- Standing water inside, which usually means a cracked lid seat or a missing lid.
- Stacked two-high outdoors for several winters, which racks cages.
- Mixed lots with no declaration, which have to be graded unit by unit.
The part most sellers get wrong
Declaring the last product vaguely. “Industrial cleaner” could mean a dilute surfactant that rinses in ninety seconds or a caustic degreaser that needs a full clean-in-place cycle — a difference of several dollars a unit to us and a grade to you. Name the product. If you can attach a safety data sheet or even a photo of the label, you will almost always be offered more, because we can price the wash instead of pricing the risk.
We also need the declaration to come from the site that generated the containers, not from a middleman. The reason is set out bluntly in the 2015 entry of our company history.
Five steps from your yard to our scale
Nothing here requires a phone call, and every stage leaves a document behind.
You send the basics
Quantity, ZIP, last product, how they are stored and whether you have a forklift. A photo of a typical unit and one of the UN plate answers half our questions before we ask them.
We make a written offer
Same business day in almost every case. Unit price by grade band, freight as a separate line, and the conditions that would change the number — stated up front rather than discovered at collection.
You sign a prior-contents declaration
One page, naming the last product and confirming empty-to-drain status, signed by someone at the generating site. This is the document that makes everything else possible.
We collect, with a weight ticket
Appointment window agreed by email. Our driver or crew counts and loads; you get a signed ticket showing count and gross weight before the truck leaves.
Scale, count, pay
Weighed and counted on our certified scale at the Emig Road gate. ACH payment within five business days. If anything differs from the offer, you get photographs and an explanation before an invoice.
What condition actually means in money terms
Indicative bands only — written offers always win, and prior product moves these more than condition does.
| Condition | Bottle | Cage / pallet | Prior product | Relative value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top of market | Clear, no haze | Square, steel pallet | Documented edible | 100% |
| Strong | Light haze | Square, composite pallet | Documented edible | 80–90% |
| Solid industrial | Stained, sound | Square, any pallet | Declared industrial | 55–70% |
| Workable | Ghosted | Minor bow | Declared industrial | 35–50% |
| Cage value only | Failed / cut | Square, sound | Any declared | 15–25% |
| Scrap | Cracked, UV-destroyed | Twisted or field-welded | Any declared | Weight value |
| Not purchased | Any | Any | Unknown, mixed or acute | — |
Emptying totes every month? Put it on a standing collection.
Selling FAQ
How much are used IBC totes worth?
Clean, label-free units with documented edible prior service and a straight cage are the most valuable, and lots of 20 or more on one accessible site are worth materially more per unit than scattered singles. Value drops with cloudy or stained bottles, missing or seized valves, bowed cages, rotten pallets, and prior products that permanently ghost or plasticise the bottle. Stainless IBCs are worth several times a poly unit. Send quantity, last product and a photo and you will have a number in writing the same business day.
Do I have to clean them first?
No — cleaning is literally what we do. We need them empty to drain and honestly declared, nothing more. Please do not pressure-wash them yourself hoping for a better price: a half-washed container with water sitting in it is harder for us to classify, and a bottle that has been scoured with the wrong chemical can lose a grade.
What will you not buy?
Unknown or mixed residues, acutely hazardous (RCRA P-listed) residues, pesticide concentrates whose labels prescribe triple-rinse-and-destroy, anything radiological, and containers that are not empty to drain. We also will not buy from a broker without a declaration traceable to the generating site.
Who pays the freight?
On lots of roughly 20 units or more within our lanes, we collect at our cost and the offer is net to you. Smaller or more distant lots are quoted net of a freight contribution, shown as a separate line so you can see exactly what the transport is costing rather than having it buried in the unit price.
How and when do I get paid?
By ACH within five business days of weight-and-count confirmation at our yard. The count on the weight ticket is final; if our count differs from yours we send photographs of the discrepancy before invoicing, which in practice happens two or three times a year.
Can you take them if we have no forklift?
Yes. Tell us on the form and we will send a flatbed with its own lift, or a reach truck for stacked outdoor storage. It changes the lane cost and the appointment window, so it matters that we know in advance rather than discovering it at the gate.
Related pages
What we pay for, and what moves the number
One hundred named prior products with the grade each one can reach, because prior service decides roughly half the value and you can check it yourself.
Look your own lot up
Find your last product. The grade column is roughly what we can pay for, and the food column is permanent.
| Prior product | Family | SG | Programme | Best grade | Food? | Seal | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple juice concentrate (70 Bx) | Food & beverage | 1.35 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Best inbound stock we see; sugars rinse clean |
| Orange juice concentrate | Food & beverage | 1.33 | PF | A | Yes | FDA Viton | Citrus oil fraction can scent the bottle |
| Grape juice concentrate | Food & beverage | 1.34 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Watch for tartrate scale at the outlet |
| Liquid sugar / sucrose syrup | Food & beverage | 1.33 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Hot rinse only, no caustic needed |
| High-fructose corn syrup | Food & beverage | 1.38 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Viscous; 3" outlet helps decanting |
| Molasses | Food & beverage | 1.42 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Heated rinse; heavy heel |
| Honey | Food & beverage | 1.42 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Crystallises; heater jacket recommended |
| Maple sap | Food & beverage | 1.02 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Benign but sugars feed biofilm fast |
| Maple syrup | Food & beverage | 1.33 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Hot rinse; inspect lid seat |
| Apple cider | Food & beverage | 1.05 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Vented lid essential — ferments |
| Wine / must | Food & beverage | 1.08 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Tartrate scale; usually leased |
| Beer / wort | Food & beverage | 1.05 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Stainless preferred for repeat service |
| Brine (pickling liquor) | Food & beverage | 1.20 | PF | A | Yes | FDA Viton | Check cage for chloride attack |
| Vinegar, 10% | Food & beverage | 1.01 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Easy; acid-resistant seal needed |
| Soy sauce | Food & beverage | 1.20 | PF | A | Yes | FDA Viton | Salt plus colour; monitor ghosting |
| Edible soybean oil | Food & beverage | 0.92 | P2 | A | Yes | FDA Viton | 140°F minimum or fat re-deposits |
| Edible canola oil | Food & beverage | 0.91 | P2 | A | Yes | FDA Viton | As above |
| Olive oil | Food & beverage | 0.92 | P2 | A | Yes | FDA Viton | Polyphenols can tint the wall |
| Glycerine, USP | Food & beverage | 1.26 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Often effectively first-use stock |
| Propylene glycol, food grade | Food & beverage | 1.04 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Frequently single-product filler stock |
| Liquid egg | Food & beverage | 1.04 | PF | A | Case by case | FDA EPDM | Protein film needs verification |
| Milk / dairy intermediate | Food & beverage | 1.03 | PF | A | Case by case | FDA EPDM | Allergen changeover record required |
| Whey concentrate | Food & beverage | 1.06 | PF | A | Case by case | FDA EPDM | Protein scale; hot detergent |
| Tomato paste | Food & beverage | 1.10 | PF | A | Yes | FDA Viton | Acidic; stains but rinses |
| Fruit purée | Food & beverage | 1.12 | PF | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Pulp load; coarse settling matters |
| Flavour concentrate / essence | Food & beverage | 0.95 | Refused | Rebottle | No | PTFE | Permeates HDPE permanently — use stainless |
| Citrus terpene oil | Food & beverage | 0.84 | Refused | Recycle | Never | PTFE | One batch ends a poly bottle's usefulness |
| Spent grain slurry | Food & beverage | 1.05 | P2 | B | No | EPDM | By-product duty; 3" outlet strongly advised |
| Yeast slurry | Food & beverage | 1.08 | P2 | B | Case by case | EPDM | Vent — active fermentation |
| UAN 32 liquid nitrogen | Agricultural | 1.32 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Rinses readily; dense — check ratings |
| UAN 28 | Agricultural | 1.28 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | As above |
| Liquid starter 10-34-0 | Agricultural | 1.38 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Polyphosphate scale at the outlet |
| Ammonium thiosulphate | Agricultural | 1.33 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Sulphur odour persists faintly |
| Potassium thiosulphate | Agricultural | 1.47 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Very dense; 275 format only |
| Calcium nitrate solution | Agricultural | 1.43 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Crystallises when cold |
| Humic / fulvic acid | Agricultural | 1.10 | P2 | B | Never | EPDM | Dark staining, usually washes out |
| Fish hydrolysate fertiliser | Agricultural | 1.12 | P3 | C | Never | Viton | Odour frequently permanent |
| Foliar micronutrient blend | Agricultural | 1.25 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Metal salts can tint the wall |
| Glyphosate concentrate | Agricultural | 1.17 | P3 | C | Never | Viton | Labelled rinse programme governs |
| 2,4-D amine concentrate | Agricultural | 1.19 | Refused | Per label | Never | Viton | Label prescribes rinse-and-destroy |
| Crop oil adjuvant | Agricultural | 0.88 | P3 | C | Never | Viton | Attacks EPDM; permeates slowly |
| Surfactant adjuvant (NIS) | Agricultural | 1.03 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Foams heavily on transfer |
| Molluscicide suspension | Agricultural | 1.22 | Refused | Per label | Never | Viton | Refused — labelled destruction |
| Livestock drinking water | Water & inert | 1.00 | P1 | A | Yes | EPDM | Effectively first-use |
| Irrigation water | Water & inert | 1.00 | P1 | A | Yes | EPDM | May carry silt; coarse settling |
| Sodium hydroxide 50% | Industrial chemistry | 1.52 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | 3,497 lb filled — check every rating |
| Sodium hydroxide 25% | Industrial chemistry | 1.27 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Easy wash; dilute and drain |
| Potassium hydroxide 45% | Industrial chemistry | 1.46 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | As NaOH; dense |
| Sulphuric acid 93% | Industrial chemistry | 1.83 | Refused | Dedicated | Never | PTFE | 4,182 lb filled; dedicated service only |
| Sulphuric acid 35% | Industrial chemistry | 1.26 | P1 | C | Never | PTFE | Fume attack on cage galvanising |
| Hydrochloric acid 31% | Industrial chemistry | 1.16 | P1 | C | Never | PTFE | Cage usually the limiting factor |
| Phosphoric acid 75% | Industrial chemistry | 1.58 | P1 | B | Never | PTFE | Dense; viscous at low temperature |
| Nitric acid 42% | Industrial chemistry | 1.26 | Refused | Dedicated | Never | PTFE | Oxidiser — embrittles HDPE |
| Hydrogen peroxide 35% | Industrial chemistry | 1.13 | P1 | B | Case by case | PTFE | Vent; absolutely no contaminants |
| Sodium hypochlorite 12% | Industrial chemistry | 1.21 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Degasses; vent and shield from UV |
| Ferric chloride 40% | Industrial chemistry | 1.42 | P2 | C | Never | Viton | Heavy orange staining is permanent |
| Aluminium sulphate | Industrial chemistry | 1.33 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Scale at the outlet boss |
| Polyaluminium chloride | Industrial chemistry | 1.35 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Gels if allowed to dry out |
| Propylene glycol coolant | Industrial chemistry | 1.04 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Ideal duty; nothing to watch |
| Ethylene glycol | Industrial chemistry | 1.11 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Toxic — never re-grade for potable |
| Calcium chloride brine 32% | Industrial chemistry | 1.38 | P1 | B | Never | Viton | Chloride attack on lower cage |
| Magnesium chloride de-icer | Industrial chemistry | 1.32 | P1 | B | Never | Viton | As above; rinse frames each spring |
| Potassium acetate de-icer | Industrial chemistry | 1.28 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Benign; airport runway chemistry |
| Urea solution (DEF) | Industrial chemistry | 1.09 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Purity-critical next fill; usually dedicated |
| Nickel plating solution | Industrial chemistry | 1.25 | Refused | Recycle | Never | Viton | Metal-bearing; never re-used |
| Chromic acid solution | Refused | 1.30 | Refused | Refused | Never | PTFE | Not accepted at the gate |
| Cyanide plating bath | Refused | 1.15 | Refused | Refused | Never | PTFE | Acutely hazardous — licensed facility only |
| Phosphate conversion coating | Industrial chemistry | 1.22 | P2 | C | Never | Viton | Scale and staining |
| Amine corrosion inhibitor | Industrial chemistry | 0.98 | P2 | B | Never | Viton | Fish-like odour can persist |
| Sodium silicate | Industrial chemistry | 1.39 | P3 | C | Never | EPDM | Sets hard if dried; wash promptly |
| Polymer flocculant emulsion | Industrial chemistry | 1.02 | P3 | C | Never | EPDM | Extremely slippery; gels with water |
| Sodium bisulphite | Industrial chemistry | 1.33 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Sulphur odour; vent |
| Antifoam silicone emulsion | Industrial chemistry | 1.00 | P3 | C | Never | Viton | Film is very hard to remove |
| Latex paint, white | Coatings & inks | 1.30 | P3 | C | Never | EPDM | Heavy ghosting; often rebottle |
| Latex paint, tinted | Coatings & inks | 1.32 | P3 | C | Never | EPDM | Pigment ghosting permanent |
| Water-based pigment dispersion | Coatings & inks | 1.25 | P3 | C | Never | EPDM | Strong colour transfer into the wall |
| Flexographic ink | Coatings & inks | 1.08 | P3 | Rebottle | Never | Viton | Resin binder plasticises the surface |
| UV-curable coating | Coatings & inks | 1.10 | Refused | Recycle | Never | PTFE | Cures in the bottle; not washable |
| Acrylic adhesive emulsion | Coatings & inks | 1.08 | P3 | Rebottle | Never | EPDM | Caustic at 180°F, often still ghosts |
| PVA wood adhesive | Coatings & inks | 1.09 | P3 | C | Never | EPDM | Wash before it skins over |
| Polyurethane resin, 2-part | Coatings & inks | 1.12 | Refused | Recycle | Never | PTFE | Cross-linked; nothing shifts it |
| Asphalt emulsion | Coatings & inks | 1.01 | P3 | C | Never | Viton | Hot caustic plus long dwell |
| Concrete release agent | Coatings & inks | 0.89 | P2 | C | Never | Viton | Oily film; 140°F detergent |
| Mineral oil, hydraulic | Oils & fuels | 0.88 | P3 | B | Never | Viton | Permeation; faint odour often remains |
| Cutting fluid, soluble | Oils & fuels | 0.92 | P3 | B | Never | Viton | Bacterial odour is the real problem |
| Gear oil | Oils & fuels | 0.90 | P3 | C | Never | Viton | Heavy film; two cycles common |
| Used motor oil | Refused | 0.89 | Refused | Recycle | Never | Viton | Waste stream — not accepted for reuse |
| Diesel fuel | Oils & fuels | 0.85 | Refused | Recycle | Never | Viton | Permanent odour; bottle compromised |
| Kerosene | Oils & fuels | 0.81 | Refused | Recycle | Never | Viton | As diesel |
| Biodiesel B100 | Oils & fuels | 0.88 | P3 | C | Never | Viton | Solvency attacks some HDPE grades |
| Vegetable-based lubricant | Oils & fuels | 0.92 | P2 | B | Never | Viton | Oxidises to a varnish if left |
| Anionic surfactant concentrate | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.05 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | It is soap — rinses, but foams |
| Non-ionic surfactant | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.03 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Easy wash |
| Alkaline degreaser | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.10 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Compatible with our own loop |
| Acid descaler | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.14 | P1 | B | Never | PTFE | Segregate heel from caustic tanks |
| Quaternary ammonium sanitiser | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.01 | P1 | B | Case by case | EPDM | Residual actives need verification |
| Peracetic acid sanitiser | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.12 | P1 | B | Case by case | PTFE | Oxidiser; vent and shield |
| Hand sanitiser (ethanol 70%) | Cleaning & sanitation | 0.87 | P1 | B | Case by case | Viton | Alcohol flashes off; little residue |
| Laundry detergent, liquid | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.06 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Optical brighteners can tint |
| Car wash soap concentrate | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.04 | P1 | B | Never | EPDM | Very common inbound stock |
| Floor finish / wax emulsion | Cleaning & sanitation | 1.02 | P3 | C | Never | EPDM | Films hard; wash before it dries |
| Potable water | Water & inert | 1.00 | P1 | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Frequently first-use stock |
| Deionised water | Water & inert | 1.00 | P1 | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | Best-value first-use source |
| Distilled water | Water & inert | 1.00 | P1 | A | Yes | FDA EPDM | As above |
| Glycerine, technical | Water & inert | 1.26 | P1 | B | No | EPDM | Technical grade is not food grade |
| Saline solution, industrial | Water & inert | 1.07 | P1 | B | Never | Viton | Chloride; inspect cage |
| Unknown or mixed residue | Refused | — | Refused | Refused | Never | — | Safety assessment, not a grading question |
| RCRA P-listed residue | Refused | — | Refused | Refused | Never | — | Licensed treatment facility only |
| Radiological material | Refused | — | Refused | Refused | Never | — | No testing, no discussion |
| Pesticide, labelled destruction | Refused | — | Refused | Refused | Never | — | Service life ended by regulation |
What each grade means in our offer
| Grade A | Grade B | Grade C | Cage / pallet only | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottle clarity | Clear / near-clear | Haze & staining permitted | Ghosting permitted | n/a |
| Prior service | Documented edible, signed at source | Industrial, declared | Industrial, declared | Any declared |
| Wash programme | Food line, recorded | Programme to residue, recorded | Ambient rinse | Cage rinse only |
| Hydrostatic test | 100% of units | Sampled | Sampled | n/a |
| New valve & gaskets | Yes, FDA-compliant | Yes | Sound or new | n/a |
| New lid | Yes | Yes | Sound or new | n/a |
| Re-marked | Yes | Yes | Where the plate survives | No |
| Stackable when filled | 2 high | 2 high | No | n/a |
| 30-day leak warranty | Yes | Yes | No — watertight at loading | No warranty |
| Food / potable | Yes, with records | No | No | n/a |
| Cost vs new | ≈ 35–45% | ≈ 25–32% | ≈ 18–24% | ≈ 5–10% |
| Lead time | Ex-stock to 5 days | Ex-stock | Ex-stock | Ex-stock |
| Loop score (lives left) | 5–6 | 4–5 | 2–3 | 3–4 bottles |
Fourteen points, four minutes a unit
The same sequence our inbound inspector uses. Run it on three units and you will know what your lot is worth before you offer it.
- Provenance. A named product, from the site that emptied the containers, ideally with a safety data sheet. Half the value.
- UN plate. Present, legible, and starting with 31 if a liquid will be shipped in it.
- Periodic test status. 2.5-year visual and 5-year leakproofness records, if the buyer ships regulated liquids.
- Bottle clarity. Backlight it — a lamp against one wall, viewed from the other side.
- Bottle stiffness. Press with a thumb. Boardy and chalky means UV degradation and a short remaining life.
- Stress whitening at the lower corner radius. White and crackled is an automatic reject.
- Valve boss. Star crazing or thread distortion is unrepairable — rebottle or recycle.
- Valve function. Opens, closes, seats, handle present and not bent.
- Lid and lid seat. Present, correct 6-inch pattern, seat uncracked.
- Cage squareness. Diagonals across the top frame both ways; beyond half an inch is a reject.
- Weld nodes. Rust blooming precedes cracking. Any previous field weld is an absolute reject.
- Feet and corners. Forklift damage here predicts the squareness problem even when diagonals still measure.
- Pallet type and condition. Probe timber bearers for rot and decks for delamination.
- Interior water and smell. Water means a failed lid and a probable freeze; smell after washing means absorbed product.
Failure modes — what we are looking for and what it means for your price
| Mode | Cause | What it looks like | Recoverable? | Prevention | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV embrittlement | Unshaded outdoor storage | Chalky, boardy, higher-pitched tap | No | Cover or shade it | Most common |
| Stress whitening at the radius | Over-fill, freeze, uneven ground | White crackled lower corners | No | Level pad, respect max gross mass | Common |
| Plasticisation & ghosting | Pigment, resin, solvent absorption | Permanent shadow when backlit | Rebottle | Match chemistry to material | Common |
| Freeze damage | Left full and sealed | Bulged panel, split seam, blown boss | Sometimes fittings only | Drain or 2/3 fill, vented lid | Seasonal spike |
| Valve boss cracking | Unsupported pump or rigid pipe | Star crazing at the boss root | No — rebottle | Support the pump separately | Avoidable |
| Impact puncture | Forklift tine, drop, collision | Hole or deep gouge | No | Handling discipline | Rare |
| Cage racking | Soft ground, foot impact, over-fill | Diagonals differ by > 1/2" | Jig if under 1/2" | Level load-bearing pad | Common |
| Weld node cracking | Fatigue, previous field weld | Rust bloom then crack | No | Never field-weld a cage | Occasional |
| Pallet rot / delamination | Timber base outdoors | Soft bearers, split deck | Replace base | Specify steel or composite | Very common |
| Seal failure | Compression set, wrong elastomer, reuse | Weeping at the boss or lid | Yes — new seal | Replace at every product change | 71% of reports |
Service life by exposure — why storage conditions move the offer
| Exposure | Realistic life | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Indoors, dry, no direct sun | 10–15 years | The bottle outlives most process changes |
| Indoors, skylights / direct sun | 8–12 years | Rotate the containers occasionally |
| Outdoors, fully covered | 9–14 years | A cover is the highest-return intervention there is |
| Outdoors, shaded north side | 7–10 years | Orientation matters as much as cover |
| Outdoors, partial sun | 5–7 years | One face chalks before the other |
| Outdoors, full sun | 3–5 years | Chalky, boardy wall; sudden failures |
| Outdoors, full sun + freeze cycles | 2–4 years | The worst combination we see |
Freight lanes — whether your lot sits on a lane we already run
| Destination | Distance | Transit | Mode | Equipment | Backhaul pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg / Lancaster, PA | 35 mi | Same day | Flatbed / van | Own | Frequent |
| York / Hanover, PA | 12 mi | Same day | Flatbed | Own | Daily |
| Philadelphia, PA | 95 mi | Same day | Flatbed / van | Own | Daily |
| Allentown / Reading, PA | 80 mi | Same day | Flatbed | Own | Frequent |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 200 mi | Next day | Flatbed | Own | Twice weekly |
| Baltimore, MD | 60 mi | Same day | Flatbed / van | Own | Daily |
| Washington, DC | 95 mi | Same day | Van | Own | Frequent |
| Northern NJ / NYC | 175 mi | Next day | Van | Own | Frequent |
| Wilmington, DE | 75 mi | Same day | Flatbed | Own | Weekly |
| Richmond, VA | 230 mi | Next day | Flatbed | Own | Weekly |
| Norfolk, VA | 300 mi | 1–2 days | Flatbed | Own | Occasional |
| Buffalo / Rochester, NY | 300 mi | 1–2 days | Flatbed | Own | Weekly |
| Columbus, OH | 390 mi | 1–2 days | Flatbed | Own | Common |
| Cleveland, OH | 350 mi | 1–2 days | Flatbed | Own | Occasional |
| Charlotte, NC | 450 mi | 2 days | Flatbed | Partner | Occasional |
| Atlanta, GA | 700 mi | 2–3 days | Flatbed | Partner | Rare |
| Chicago, IL | 650 mi | 2 days | Flatbed | Partner | Occasional |
| Detroit, MI | 450 mi | 2 days | Flatbed | Partner | Occasional |
| Boston / New England | 400 mi | 2 days | Van | Partner | Occasional |
| Nashville, TN | 700 mi | 2–3 days | Flatbed | Partner | Rare |
| Dallas / Houston, TX | 1,450 mi | 3–4 days | Flatbed | Partner | Rare |
| Denver, CO | 1,700 mi | 4 days | Flatbed | Partner | No |
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,200 mi | 5 days | Flatbed | Partner | No |
| California | 2,700 mi | 5–6 days | Flatbed | Partner | No |
| Pacific Northwest | 2,700 mi | 5–6 days | Flatbed | Partner | No |
Seasonality — June pays better than October
| Month | Food-grade demand | Industrial demand | Inbound supply | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Low | High (de-icer) | Average | Winter emergencies; frozen heels slow the gate |
| February | High (maple starts) | High | Average | Sugaring floats go out; access often difficult |
| March | Highest (maple peak) | Moderate | Low | Freeze-damage crop arrives from last autumn |
| April | High | High (fertiliser) | Average | Maple returns, spring inputs ship |
| May | Average | Highest (fertiliser) | High | Biggest Grade B volume window |
| June | Average | High | High | Best month to sell us empties |
| July | Low | Average | Highest | Deepest stock; cheapest buying |
| August | Low | Average | Highest | Book autumn food-grade now |
| September | Highest (cider, crush) | High (de-icer fill) | Low | The squeeze begins |
| October | Highest | High | Lowest | Food-grade lead times stretch to 2–3 weeks |
| November | Average | Highest | Low | Winter chemistry fills; order covers and jackets |
| December | Average (juice runs) | High | Low | Holiday-week bookings close early |
Documents we issue on a collection
| Document | What it contains | When you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Written quotation | Unit price by grade, freight as its own line, validity, and the conditions that would change it | Before you order |
| Grade certificate | Assigned grade against our published definitions, per unit serial | With the order |
| Leak & pressure test record | Test pressure, hold time, outcome, per serial | With the order |
| Hydrostatic test certificate | 100% of food-line units, recorded against serial | Food-grade orders |
| Prior-contents declaration | Named last product, generating site, signature | Anything we collected |
| Wash programme record | Bay, programme, temperature, chemistry, cycle time | Reconditioned & contract work |
| Rinse verification | Final-rinse pH and conductivity | Reconditioned & contract work |
| Component specification | Valve, gasket, lid materials with compliance references | Food-grade orders |
| Photograph set | The actual units on the rack before loading | Every order |
| Weight ticket | Certified-scale gross weight and count | Collections and cleanouts |
| Diversion certificate | Unit counts, weights by stream, destination routes, dates | End-of-life batches |
| Certificate of insurance | GL, auto, cargo, workers' comp; additional insured | Before a crew arrives |
| Reconditioner marking detail | Code, date, design type | Re-marked units |
| Lease schedule | Count, grade, dates, weekly rate, return condition, replacement charge | Leases |
Six things that reduce what we can pay
A vague declaration
“Industrial cleaner” prices the risk rather than the wash. Name the product and attach the SDS and you are almost always offered more.
A declaration from a broker
We need the signature of someone at the generating site. This single rule is why we refuse about one offered load in twelve.
Standing water inside
Means a missing lid, and in Pennsylvania almost certainly a freeze with water in it. We look hard at the radius and the boss.
Timber bases left outdoors
Rotted bearers and delaminated decks are the most common single reason a whole lot drops a grade.
Scattered storage with no forklift
Twenty units on a paved pad beats forty across three buildings; crew time is in the price either way.
Years of unshaded UV exposure
Chalky, boardy, stress-whitened bottles are cage-and-pallet value no matter how clean they look.
This is what a typical lot looks like to us
Four product families, three pallet types, a dozen units with no lids and standing water inside. Nothing here is unusual and none of it is a problem, provided it is described honestly before anybody books a truck.
A lot like this grades out at roughly a third reusable after washing, a third cage and pallet value with failed bottles, and a third scrap. The surprise is almost always on the good side: lots sold to us as “all scrap” routinely contain dozens of sound containers that nobody looked at, and we say so when we find them.
