Industries · agriculture
Agriculture: the sector that has always understood reuse
Farms were repurposing totes long before anyone wrote a circular-economy white paper. What growers need is honesty about prior contents, gravity plumbing that actually works, and totes that survive hot summers outdoors.
Request totes for irrigation or fertiliser
Tell us the use, the water source and whether the liquid touches edible crops. Pricing is by quote from partner suppliers.
Farm applications and what to ask for
| Use | Grade | Extras needed | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drip irrigation buffer | Rain / Grade B | Filter, stand, float valve | Emitter clogging from grit |
| Rain harvesting | Rain grade | First-flush diverter, screen | Algae in translucent bottles |
| Liquid fertiliser (UAN, urea) | Grade A washed | EPDM gasket, vented lid | High gross weight at SG 1.28–1.32 |
| Foliar feed mixing | Grade A washed | Mixing port | Cross-contamination between mixes |
| Livestock non-potable water | Rain grade | Float valve, cage guard | Biofilm in warm weather |
| Compost tea brewing | Grade B | Aeration fitting | Rapid biofilm; scrub between brews |
| Field sprayer nurse tank | Grade B | Camlock outlet, strap points | Surge when part-filled in transit |
| Frost protection water | Grade C | Nothing | Freeze damage — drain in winter |
| Aquaponics | Rain grade, benign history | Bulkheads, bell siphon | Anything toxic to fish |
| Maple sap collection | Food-history | Food-contact parts | Sanitation between seasons |
The pesticide rule, and why to be inflexible about it
A tote that held a pesticide, herbicide or biocide should be treated as permanently unsuitable for food, potable and edible-crop irrigation use. Not "after a triple rinse" — permanently.
The reason is permeation. Many agricultural chemistries are formulated with solvents and adjuvants that migrate into the HDPE wall. Rinsing removes the liquid, not the polymer-bound residue, and it can leach back into whatever goes in next. For non-edible use — dust suppression, equipment wash-down, continued like-for-like service — those units can still be useful, provided they are clearly labelled.
Ask any supplier for the prior content in writing. If they cannot tell you, assume the worst for edible-crop use.
Outdoor survival, practically
- UV. Natural HDPE goes chalky and brittle after a few hot summers in full sun. A black bottle, a UV jacket or a simple plywood shroud extends its life considerably.
- Algae. Light plus nutrients plus warmth equals a green tote within weeks. Block the light and the problem largely disappears.
- Freezing. A full tote can split in a hard freeze. Drain it down, leave the valve open, and jacket anything that must stay charged.
- Base. A full 275 gallon tote of water weighs roughly 2,400 lb. On soft ground it will tilt and eventually crack a pallet. Use compacted gravel or a steel stand, always level.
- Rodents. Keep lids screened and closed. A tote is a perfect nesting cavity once it is dry.
Gravity plumbing that works
- Raise the tote: every foot of elevation adds about 0.43 psi of head.
- Use 2 inch trunk lines from the valve — necking down to a garden hose cuts flow sharply.
- Fit a fine mesh filter before any drip emitters, not after.
- Link totes bottom-to-bottom with a manifold so the bank draws evenly.
- Tie the overflows together and direct the final overflow away from anything that matters.
- Add a float valve if you are topping up from a well or municipal line — it removes the forgotten-tap failure.
- Put a shut-off at the tote and another at the field end. You will need both.
Questions people actually ask
Can I use a used IBC tote for watering vegetables?
Only with a documented benign prior content — food, water or a similarly harmless product. Never use a pesticide-, solvent- or unknown-history tote for edible crops, and check any rules that apply to your operation.
How much pressure does a gravity tote give?
About 0.43 psi per foot of elevation. A tote on a 2-foot stand gives under 2 psi at the outlet when full — enough for flood and low-pressure drip, not enough for most sprinklers.
Do totes work as sprayer nurse tanks?
They are a common solution. Use a camlock outlet, strap them properly and avoid transporting them part-filled — liquid surge in a half-full tote is genuinely dangerous on uneven ground.
Fertiliser and ag chemistry in totes: the practical table
| Product | SG | Approx. gross weight | Gasket | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAN 32 | 1.32 | 3,150 lb | EPDM | Salts out in cold weather |
| UAN 28 | 1.28 | 3,050 lb | EPDM | Check product data for cold storage |
| Urea solution | 1.14 | 2,750 lb | EPDM | Can crystallise when cool |
| Ammonium thiosulphate | 1.32 | 3,150 lb | EPDM | Heavy; check rating |
| Potassium thiosulphate | 1.46 | 3,480 lb | EPDM | Heavy; check rating |
| 10-34-0 starter | 1.38 | 3,300 lb | EPDM | Viscous when cold |
| Liquid calcium | 1.40 | 3,340 lb | EPDM | Settles; agitate |
| Humic acid solution | 1.05 | 2,540 lb | EPDM | Stains permanently |
| Fish emulsion | 1.08 | 2,610 lb | EPDM | Odour permeates HDPE |
| Compost tea | 1.00 | 2,420 lb | EPDM | Biofilm; scrub between brews |
| Molasses feed supplement | 1.42 | 3,390 lb | EPDM | Thick when cold |
| Glyphosate concentrate | 1.17 | 2,810 lb | EPDM | Rules the tote out of edible-crop use |
| Copper sulphate solution | 1.19 | 2,860 lb | EPDM | Stains; toxic to fish |
| Non-potable livestock water | 1.00 | 2,420 lb | EPDM | Drain for winter |
Weights are approximate (gallons × 8.345 × SG plus a typical tare). The glyphosate row is the one to read twice: any pesticide, herbicide or biocide history rules a tote out of edible-crop irrigation, and no rinse changes that. Check product labels and current regulations.
Building an irrigation bank that survives a season
- 01
Base first, and overbuild it
Compacted gravel or a slab. Four full totes of water weigh close to five tons. Soft ground tilts, tilting stresses the pallet, and a cracked base mid-season is a very bad week.
- 02
Link bottom-to-bottom, not top-to-top
A 2 inch bottom manifold means the bank fills and draws evenly. Top linking looks tidier and only equalises when full.
- 03
Isolation valve at every tote
So you can pull one unit out for cleaning without draining the bank.
- 04
Filter before the emitters, always
Grit from a roof or a pond can block drip emitters quickly.
- 05
Tie the overflows together
One controlled discharge point, directed away from anything that erodes or floods.
- 06
Block the light
Black bottles, jackets or a shade structure. Algae is a light problem and it is preventable.
- 07
Plan the winter drain-down early
Drain down, open the valves and crack the lids before the first hard freeze.
Grower questions
Can I use one tote for fertiliser and later for irrigation water?
For non-edible irrigation, generally yes after a thorough rinse. For edible-crop irrigation, only if the fertiliser was a straight nutrient solution with no pesticide component — and record that decision rather than relying on memory.
How do I clean a compost tea tote?
Scrub mechanically, sanitise, then rinse thoroughly. Biofilm forms fast in brewing systems and a rinse alone will not remove it.
Are totes suitable for a nurse tank on a sprayer?
Yes, it is common practice. Use a camlock outlet, strap them properly, and never transport them part-filled over uneven ground — liquid surge in a half-full tote is genuinely dangerous.
Can totes be delivered to a farm without a dock?
Often, with a liftgate truck and somewhere firm to set them down. Describe the ground conditions in your quote request so the partner supplier can plan for it.
Season by season on a working farm
| Month | What is happening | Action |
|---|---|---|
| January | Cold, tanks drained | Inspect bottles and cages; plan for spring |
| February | Planning | Request rain-grade units before spring demand |
| March | Rain season, first irrigation | Recharge systems, clean screens and diverters |
| April | Peak demand | Fertiliser totes in service; watch gross weights |
| May | Irrigation steady | Check for algae; shroud or jacket anything translucent |
| June | Heat | Headspace on any sealed tote; shade where possible |
| July | Peak irrigation | Filters and emitters; scrub biofilm in livestock waterers |
| August | Dry spell buffer matters | Top up from well or mains via float valve |
| September | Season winding down | Plan drain-down; sell surplus units |
| October | Harvest | Clean and dry anything going into storage |
| November | First frosts | Drain down, valves open, lids cracked |
| December | Cold | Nothing charged outdoors except jacketed units |
More grower questions
Can I use a tote for organic production?
Many organic certifiers accept reused containers with a documented benign history. Where the standard requires no prior contact with prohibited substances, a rebottled unit with a new bottle is the clean answer — ask your certifier before buying.
What is a simple way to get water to a remote field?
A Grade C tote on a trailer or skid, filled at the farm and hauled. It is not elegant, but it works and uses equipment you probably already own.
Do totes work for maple sap?
Yes, and food-history units are the usual specification. Sanitation between seasons matters more than the grade — sap spoils quickly and biofilm is the enemy.
How do I stop cattle damaging a tote waterer?
A cage guard or a timber surround, and set it on a firm pad. The bottle usually survives; it is the valve and the pallet that get damaged.
Where people go from here
Reuse first, then recycle.