Everything worth knowing about IBC totes, in one place.
Specs, grades, dimensions, buying advice, and plain-English answers — written by people who inspect, wash, haul, and re-home thousands of totes a year. No fluff, no phone tree, just the knowledge.
Pick your rabbit hole
Five destinations, each written to actually answer the question — not to sell you something on the way.
Why this stuff is worth reading
A little knowledge up front saves money, prevents contamination, and keeps good containers out of the landfill.
Read the Guide first
If you have never bought an IBC tote before, start with The Complete IBC Tote Guide. It explains the anatomy, the jargon, and how to choose — so the size chart and grade pages make sense when you get there.
Skip to the specs
Know what you need? Jump to the Size Chart to confirm dimensions and clearances, then browse Used IBC Totes or request a quote for your volume.
Which page answers your question?
A quick router. Match what you actually need to the page that goes deepest on it, so you land in the right place the first time.
| Your question | Best page | What you'll find there |
|---|---|---|
| How tall is a 330, and will it fit my space? | Size Chart | Six spec tables: dimensions, footprints, weights, valves, fill heights, pallets |
| Is this tote safe for my liquid? | Grades Explained | Grade definitions, a comparison matrix, and how we verify prior contents |
| What even is an IBC tote? | The Guide | Anatomy, history, materials, uses, buying, care, and reuse — start to finish |
| What thread is on the outlet? | Size Chart | Valve & thread table: S60x6, camlock, NPT, GHT and what adapts to what |
| How much for my idle totes? | We Buy Your Totes | What we pay, what condition we accept, and how pickup works |
| Used or new for my job? | Used vs New (article) | Cost, carbon, and lead time compared side by side |
A plain-English tote glossary
The dozen terms that show up on every spec sheet, listing, and quote. Learn these and the rest of the site reads easy.
IBC
Intermediate Bulk Container — the whole assembly. Sized between a 55-gallon drum and a fixed bulk tank, hence intermediate.
Bottle
The blow-molded HDPE inner receptacle that holds the liquid. Usually translucent so you can read the level. Defines the grade.
Cage
The welded galvanized-steel lattice that protects the bottle and lets totes stack. Bent or cracked welds fail a tote for stacking.
Tare
The empty weight of the tote — roughly 120 to 135 lb. Filled weight, not tare, is what your forklift and racking must be rated for.
S60x6
The common buttress thread on the outlet cap: 60 mm coarse. A standard adapter kit converts it to NPT, camlock, or garden-hose.
Rebottled
A brand-new HDPE bottle fitted into a reused, inspected cage and pallet — a fresh interior at lower cost and carbon than fully new.
UN31HA1
The UN performance code for a composite IBC that carries regulated liquids. H = plastic inner, A = steel cage, 31 = liquids.
Packing group
The hazard tier a tote is rated for: X covers I, II, III; Y covers II, III; Z covers III only. Stamped on the UN plate.
SG
Specific gravity — the density of a liquid relative to water. Multiply gallons by 8.34 lb by SG to get the real filled weight.
Before you dig in
The handful of things people ask before they even open a resource page.
Do I need to read all of this to buy a tote?
Which resource should a first-time buyer read first?
Are these pages specific to California?
How current is this information?
Can I talk to a person instead of reading?
Questions the resources didn't answer?
Send us your liquid, your volume, and your ZIP. We'll match you to the right tote and grade — and the planet gets a win either way.