How to Recycle Your IBC Totes
A clear, step-by-step guide to turning used totes into new materials
Key Takeaways
- IBC tote recycling focuses on the HDPE bottle and the steel cage/pallet components.
- The process typically follows collection → cleaning → shredding → reprocessing.
- Proper preparation and sorting (what the tote last held, remaining residues, and condition) determine whether a tote is reusable, is recyclable, or should be rebottled.
What gets recycled in an IBC?
Most composite IBCs (275- and 330-gallon) combine:
- Inner bottle: high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
- Outer cage: galvanized steel
- Base: plastic, steel, or wood pallet
In recycling, HDPE and steel are the primary targets. Wood bases are usually reused or recycled separately; plastic bases can be recycled with other rigid plastics if the local program accepts them.
The IBC tote recycling process
1) Collection
Empty totes are picked up from plants, farms, distribution centers, and job sites or dropped off at consolidation yards. Recyclers will ask about:
- Last contents (SDS/MSDS or product name)
- Condition (rinsed, dirty, damaged)
- Quantity and sizes (275/330 gal; pallet type)
Tip: Keep caps and valves attached so residuals don’t spill during transport.
2) Decontamination
Before mechanical recycling, bottles must be emptied and cleaned to remove residual product. Depending on what was inside:
- Triple-rinse / caustic wash / steam cleaning for food-grade and many industrial liquids
- Segregated cleaning for specialty chemicals
- Documentation (wash logs or certificates) is often kept to prove decontamination
If a tote previously contained hazardous materials that are not approved for mechanical recycling, it may be diverted to energy recovery or regulated disposal instead.
3) Size reduction
Clean HDPE bottles are de-caged and fed through a granulator or shredder to create uniform flakes. Any labels, gaskets, or mixed plastics are removed by sorting so the HDPE stream stays clean.
Steel cages are baled and sent to metal recyclers, and plastic pallets (if accepted) are shredded separately to avoid contamination.
4) Reprocessing
HDPE flakes are washed, dried, and pelletized. The resulting recycled resin (rHDPE) is used in:
- Industrial products: pallets, dunnage, pipe, conduit, bins, landscape edging
- Some packaging components where recycled content is acceptable
Steel is melted and re-rolled for new steel products.
How to prepare your totes for recycling
- Identify last contents and keep SDS on hand.
- Drain completely; close valve and cap.
- If safe, rinse to remove bulk residues.
- Keep like-with-like (separate food-grade, oils, solvents, etc.).
- Remove loose hardware or external hoses.
- Stage for loading and note counts and sizes for pickup.
What can complicate recycling?
- Unknown or incompatible residues (certain solvents/oxidizers can damage HDPE).
- Severely contaminated bottles that can’t be cleaned economically.
- Mixed materials (non-HDPE liners, odd gaskets) left on the bottle stream.
- Damaged cages tied tightly to bottles, slowing de-caging.
These don’t make recycling impossible—but they may change the route (e.g., rebottle vs. grind) or pricing.
Environmental & operational benefits
Recycling IBC totes keeps materials in circulation and reduces on-site risk.
- Landfill diversion: HDPE bottles and steel cages are reclaimed instead of disposed.
- Lower footprint: Recycled resin/steel cuts embodied carbon in new products.
- Safer, cleaner sites: Damaged totes exit circulation, reducing leaks and clutter.
- Cost potential: Consolidated loads may qualify for rebates or lower disposal fees.
- Audit support: Many recyclers issue receipts/certificates for reporting.
Together, these gains make recycling a practical win for both sustainability and day-to-day operations.
Quick decision guide (what to ask your recycler)
A brief call can confirm fit, prep steps, and pricing before you stage a load.
- Logistics: Pickup availability, minimum quantities, stacking rules, and how totes should be staged.
- Accepted contents: Allowed/excluded prior contents and any SDS/rinse documentation needed.
- Capabilities: Cleaning, shredding, pelletizing, rebottling options, and steel handling.
- Preparation & pricing: Exact pre-pickup steps (drain/cap, rinse, label removal), how counts are recorded, freight responsibility, rebates/fees, and proof of recycling.
With these answers, you’ll know exactly how to prepare totes for a smooth pickup and transparent downstream processing.
Conclusion
Recycling IBC totes is straightforward when you confirm contents, prep correctly, and work with a recycler that can handle HDPE and steel streams.
- Confirm last contents and have SDS/rinse info ready.
- Keep totes on their own pallet bases, caps/valves closed, and separate by type.
- Stage counts and photos, then schedule pickup per the recycler’s instructions.
Handled this way, you’ll divert material from landfill, reduce risk on-site, and keep containers moving through a legitimate end-of-life channel—when you’re ready, start here: Recycle Your IBC Totes.
