Guide · start here
IBC tote grades explained, because “used” tells you nothing
There is no industry standard for tote grades. Each supplier defines its own, so the letter on a quote is only as useful as the definition behind it. Here is what the common grades usually mean, and how to question any seller about theirs.
Not sure which grade your job needs?
Describe the liquid and the duty. A partner supplier will follow up with options and pricing.
Tap through every grade
Cleanliness, cosmetics and typical duty for each common grade.
Grade A, food-grade or rebottled
Usually a new HDPE bottle fitted into a reconditioned cage and pallet, or a bottle that only ever held an edible product and has been cleaned for food service.
Ask the supplier for the bottle date, the content history and any food-contact documentation before you buy.
BEST FOR
- ✳Edible oils, syrups, brines
- ✳Winery and brewery transfers
- ✳Cosmetic and nutraceutical blending
A bottle that has held a solvent, pesticide or other chemical should never be sold as food grade.
Grades are not an industry standard, and partner suppliers may describe them differently. See IBC tote grades explained.
The grades in one table
| Grade | Cleaning | Cosmetics | Typical duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — food / rebottled | New bottle, or documented food history with wash and odour check | Bright, unstained | Food, beverage, cosmetic |
| A — technical | Hot wash, dried | Light staining possible | Industrial chemistry, coolants, detergents |
| B | Rinsed | Scuffs, faded labels, mixed pallets | Non-critical bulk liquid, site water, fertiliser |
| C | As-is, drained | Dents, heavy staining | Rain capture, ballast, projects |
| Rain / irrigation | Rinsed, benign history | Not important | Non-potable water, irrigation |
| Recycle only | None | Failed | Material recovery only |
Ask whether every unit, whatever its grade, is leak-tested and comes with a cap and gasket. That should be a floor, not an extra. Definitions differ between suppliers, so confirm them with the quote.
The four questions that expose a guessing seller
Grades are just labels until someone answers these.
1. "What was in it last, and who filled it?" A specific product and a source mean real records. "Soap, probably" means no records.
2. "How was it cleaned, and is there a record?" Triple rinsing, hot washing and caustic recirculation are different processes with different outcomes. A seller who cannot name the method may not have used one.
3. "Was it leak-tested, and when?" A simple fill-and-hold test catches the failure that ruins your day. If it was not tested, you are the test.
4. "What is the valve and gasket situation?" A new gasket, or the original one that has been swelling in surfactant for years? A weeping valve is one of the most common complaints about used totes and one of the easiest to prevent.
Why over-specifying is the expensive mistake
Many requests for food-grade or new totes are for jobs that do not need them. A glycol loop does not need a virgin bottle. Site water does not need a UN marking. A wash-bay reservoir does not need Grade A cosmetics. Each step down the grade ladder usually costs less.
The right grade is the lowest one that is genuinely safe for the job.
Where each grade earns its keep
Choose Grade A when
- ＋Food, beverage, cosmetic or potable contact is involved.
- ＋Residual film would contaminate a sensitive product.
- ＋The tote will be customer-facing or audited.
- ＋You need an in-date UN marking for regulated transport.
- ＋You are filling at elevated temperature.
Grade B or C is often enough when
- −The liquid is water, fertiliser, site water or a robust industrial product.
- −The tote is a reservoir, not a shipping package.
- −You are going to cut the bottle apart anyway.
- −Cosmetics genuinely do not matter.
- −You want the lowest cost per gallon.
Questions people actually ask
Is there an official IBC tote grading standard?
No. Grades are defined by each supplier, which is why the definition matters more than the letter. Ask for prior content, cleaning method, leak-test status and valve condition, and you can compare any two sellers regardless of what they call their grades.
What is the difference between Grade A food and Grade A technical?
The bottle history and the cleaning checks. Grade A food usually means a documented edible-only history plus an odour check, or a new bottle. Grade A technical is mechanically similar and hot-washed, but carries no food-contact claim.
Are Grade C totes safe?
Safe to hold water if they are leak-tested. They are not suitable for regulated transport, food contact or anything where residual film matters, and they should not be stacked when full.
How grade names vary between suppliers
There is no industry standard, so here is a rough translation between the vocabularies you will meet.
| Common grade | Also called | Also called | Beware |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A food / rebottled | Food grade | Class 1 food | "Food grade" with no history |
| Grade A technical | Reconditioned | Class 1, washed | "Reconditioned" meaning only rinsed |
| Grade B | Class 2 | Standard used | "Cleaned" with no method named |
| Grade C | Class 3 | As-is, farm grade, project grade | Units with no leak test |
| Rain / irrigation | Water grade | Garden grade | Rain grade with a pesticide history |
| Recycle only | Scrap | Salvage | Scrap being resold as Grade C |
The right-hand column is the useful one. Every term here is used honestly by some sellers and loosely by others, which is why the four questions in the main article matter more than the label.
How a careful inspection usually runs
The order of checks that tends to catch the expensive problems first.
The bottle first, not the cage
A dented cage can be repaired. A crazed bottle is finished. Look at the outlet area and the bottle wall before anything else.
The nose does work no instrument does
Permeation is invisible and does not wash out. A solvent smell in a bottle that looks perfect is a reason to stop.
Cosmetics come last
Staining, faded labels and a repainted cage say little about fitness for service. They affect resale appeal, which is a separate question.
Borderline units are the hard calls
The value of a written grade definition is that it decides borderline cases in advance. Ask sellers how they handle units that sit between two grades.
More grading questions
Can a tote be upgraded to a higher grade later?
Usually only by rebottling, because the bottle limits most units. A Grade B tote can be washed to look like Grade A, but if its history is undocumented or its bottle is UV-damaged, the grade should not move.
Why do two sellers quote differently for "Grade A"?
Because Grade A is not a standard. One seller may mean hot-washed with a serviced valve and a leak test; another may mean it looked clean. Compare the underlying facts rather than the letter.
What grade should I buy if I am cutting the tote up?
Grade C. Paying for a washed interior on a bottle you are about to cut in half makes little sense.
Grading in other reuse industries, for comparison
The problem is not unique to totes.
Pallets have a broadly shared vocabulary: grades such as A and B mean roughly similar things across much of the pallet trade, though not identically.
Steel drums for regulated service are reconditioned under rules that require documented processes and testing.
Gaylord boxes and corrugated have no common grading, and terminology varies widely.
IBC totes sit somewhere between. Transport rules cover UN marking and testing, but say nothing about commercial grades, so each supplier defines its own. That is why the four questions in the main article (prior content, cleaning method, leak test, valve condition) matter more than any letter.
Even more grading questions
Do grades affect resale value later?
Yes, but history and storage matter as much as the grade at purchase. A Grade C tote kept under cover with documented contents can be worth more later than a Grade A left in the sun.
Can I ask for a specific manufacturer?
Yes, and it can matter if you hold spare bottles or parts for one make. Mention it in your quote request; it may affect availability.
What is the highest grade of used tote?
Generally a rebottled unit on a plastic pallet with a new valve. For food contact it is close to new, but it does not automatically carry a current UN test status.
Where people go from here
Reuse first, then recycle.