Knowledge · G-07
What used totes
cost in 2026.
Short answer
- 330 gal: typically 10 – 18% more per unit, 8 – 12% less per gallon
- Quantity is the biggest lever — 42 units vs 4 halves the landed cost
- Plastic base adds $18 – $30
- Scrap units paid by weight against the day's resin and mill markets
Get an actual quote
By grade and size
The bands
Ex-yard Savannah, quantity 4 or more, steel base. Add freight; subtract volume discount.
| Grade | 120 gal | 275 gal | 330 gal | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As-is / unwashed | $40 – $80 | $55 – $110 | $65 – $125 | Residue disclosed, structurally sound |
| Rinsed / clean used | $70 – $120 | $95 – $165 | $110 – $190 | Triple rinsed, visual check, no test |
| Reconditioned | $90 – $165 | $120 – $225 | $140 – $260 | Washed, tested, new gasket, wash certificate |
| Food grade | $140 – $250 | $185 – $340 | $215 – $395 | FDA resin, affidavit, plastic base |
| Rebottled | $160 – $270 | $210 – $365 | $245 – $420 | New bottle, reclaimed cage, all new wetted parts |
| New | $290 – $400 | $390 – $540 | $450 – $625 | Everything new, full UN window |
| Scrap | By weight | By weight | By weight | ~115 lb HDPE + ~60 lb steel per 275 |
Bare cage
$38 – $75
Straightened, shot-blasted, weld-checked
Plastic base
$34 – $58
Washed, crack-inspected
Stainless bin, 350 gal
$950 – $3,400
304 vs 316L, hydrostatically tested
Four variables
What actually moves your number
In order of magnitude. The one everybody focuses on — grade — is only the third largest.
01
Freight distance and quantity, together
The largest variable by a wide margin. A single reconditioned 275 shipped 900 miles on lift-gate LTL can carry $95 of freight — more than half the unit price. Forty-two units on the same lane carry about $32 each. Quantity and distance interact, and together they swamp every other consideration.
| Effect | |
|---|---|
| 1 unit, 500 mi, lift-gate | $95 – $140 freight |
| 4 units, 500 mi, dock | $55 – $95 each |
| 8 units, 500 mi, dock | $34 – $52 each |
| 42 units, 500 mi, full trailer | $14 – $22 each |
| 42 units, 1,200 mi, full trailer | $28 – $42 each |
02
Regional supply, by grade
Supply is genuinely uneven. Food-grade units are most available in the Midwest corn and dairy corridors; reconditioned chemical units are most available on the Gulf. Buying a grade against the regional grain costs 15 – 30% more, and sometimes the honest answer is to source from a different region and accept the freight.
| Effect | |
|---|---|
| Food grade, Midwest | Band low |
| Food grade, Mountain West | Band high + lead time |
| Reconditioned, Gulf / Southeast | Band low |
| Reconditioned, Northeast | Band mid |
| Stainless, anywhere | Opportunistic — stock moves unpredictably |
03
Grade
A $170 spread from as-is to rebottled on a 275. Real money, but smaller than the freight-and-quantity interaction. Which is why we will frequently suggest a cheaper grade and a larger order rather than a higher grade and a small one.
| Effect | |
|---|---|
| As-is → rinsed | +$40 typical |
| Rinsed → reconditioned | +$45 typical |
| Reconditioned → food grade | +$80 typical |
| Reconditioned → rebottled | +$120 typical |
| Rebottled → new | +$180 typical |
04
Configuration and seasonality
Base type, valve size, gasket compound and lid type together move a unit by $20 – $60. Seasonality moves specific grades by 10 – 20%: food grade tightens in late summer, agricultural grades February through April.
| Effect | |
|---|---|
| Plastic base instead of steel | +$18 – $30 |
| DN80 instead of DN50 outlet | +$12 – $22 |
| Viton instead of EPDM gasket | +$14 – $26 |
| Uniform fleet from one batch | +$8 – $15 each |
| Off-season purchase | −10 – 20% on that grade |
Getting the best price
Five levers, in order of effect
Order more at once
The single biggest lever. Going from 4 units to 42 cuts freight per unit by roughly two thirds, which usually beats any grade saving available.
Collect from the yard
Eliminates freight entirely. Savannah, including Saturday mornings. Worth doing for anything up to a pickup-load.
Accept our base type
Specifying plastic when steel would serve adds $18 – $30 a unit. Only specify it when the floor genuinely requires it.
Be honest about grade
If rinsed does the job, buy rinsed. Over-specifying is the most common avoidable cost in this market and we will say so.
Buy off-season
Food grade is cheaper in late winter, agricultural grades cheaper in autumn. A 10 – 20% saving for planning three months ahead.
Ask about mixed loads
A trailer of mostly reconditioned with four food-grade units on it rides at trailer-rate freight. Splitting it into two orders does not.
Short answer
- Quantity and collection beat grade discounts
- Specify configuration only where it is genuinely needed
- Plan three months ahead for seasonal grades
- Ask for a mixed load rather than splitting the order
Questions
Pricing questions
How much does a used 275-gallon IBC tote cost?
In 2026: $55 – $110 as-is, $95 – $165 rinsed, $120 – $225 reconditioned, $210 – $365 rebottled, $185 – $340 food grade. Ex-yard, quantity 4 or more. Freight adds $12 – $95 per unit depending on quantity and distance, and it is frequently the largest variable in the landed price.
Why do prices vary so much within a grade?
Four reasons, in order of impact: freight distance, order quantity, base type and regional supply. A reconditioned 275 with a plastic base, bought as a single unit 900 miles away, lands near the top of its band. Forty units on a steel base collected from our yard lands at the bottom.
Is a 330 more expensive than a 275?
Per unit yes, typically 10 – 18% more. Per gallon stored, no — it is 8 – 12% cheaper, because the extra plastic and steel cost less than the extra 55 gallons of capacity are worth. If the height works for you, the 330 is better value.
Do prices move during the year?
Yes, predictably. Food-grade supply tightens in late summer as beverage season drains the pool. Agricultural grades tighten February through April ahead of the growing season. Scrap-linked prices move with resin and mill markets, which is why our scrap bids are quoted on the day.
How do I get the lowest possible price?
Four things, roughly in order: order more units at once, collect from the yard, accept the base type we have rather than specifying, and be flexible about grade if your job genuinely allows it. Those four together frequently beat a 30% discount on a single-unit purchase.
Reading a quote
What should be on a used-tote quote, and what should not
Quotes in this market vary wildly in what they disclose. This is what a complete one contains.
| Line | Should be present | Warning sign if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Grade, named explicitly | Food, rebottled, reconditioned, rinsed, as-is or scrap | “Clean” or “good condition” instead of a grade |
| Unit price | Per unit, at the stated quantity | A range with no quantity attached |
| Landed freight to your postcode | A number | “Freight TBD” or “plus freight” |
| Base type | Steel, plastic, composite or wood | Unstated — you will get whatever is on them |
| Valve and gasket | Size and compound | Unstated — EPDM will be assumed |
| Paperwork included | Wash certificate, test record, affidavit reference | No mention — likely none exists |
| UN marking status | Marking string and remaining service life | Just “UN certified” |
| Lead time | Days from acceptance | Unstated |
| Quote validity | A date | Open-ended on a market that moves weekly |
Two lines carry most of the risk. “Freight TBD” on a small order can double the landed price, and “UN certified” without a remaining service life can mean a container that leaves regulated service in four months.
Total cost
What a container costs over its life, not at purchase
Purchase price is the number everybody compares and the smallest part of the picture on a returnable fleet.
| Line | Reconditioned | New | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase | $170 | $465 | The visible number |
| Washing, 4 turns/yr × 5 yr | $620 | $620 | Identical |
| Gaskets and valves | $95 | $95 | Identical consumables |
| Periodic testing (hazmat service) | $110 | $110 | Identical |
| Base replacement (steel) | $36 | $36 | Roughly one swap in five years |
| Residual value at year five | −$25 | −$45 | Scrap or resale |
| Five-year total | $1,006 | $1,281 | 27% difference |
| Cost per turn (20 turns) | $50.30 | $64.05 | The number that matters |
Short answer
- Purchase price is roughly 17% of five-year cost on a returnable fleet
- Washing is the largest line and it is identical either way
- Cost per turn is the comparison that survives scrutiny
- On a single-use application, purchase price really is most of it
From the Yard Journal
Longer pieces from the people who run the wash line, the test bay and the trading desk.
4 April 2024 · 4 min
The economics of a ten-unit order
Ten units is the most common order size we quote and the most frequently mispriced by the buyer. The lever is not the grade.
Nina Caldwell · Trading desk
Read24 January 2023 · 5 min
Resin prices and used tote prices are not the same curve
Everyone assumes used container prices track polymer markets. They track freight, supply of empties and grade scarcity instead — and the lag runs in an unexpected direction.
Nina Caldwell · Trading desk
Read5 September 2024 · 4 min
What regrind buyers actually pay for
Colour and melt index, in that order. Sorting to that granularity cut our granulator payback from 4.5 years to 3.2, and nobody modelled it in advance.
Theo Marsh · Materials & reporting
Read
Next move
Published bands are a starting point, not a quote.
Send quantity, grade, destination zip and timeline and you will get the actual number — including, where it applies, a cheaper configuration we think would serve you better.