Our Services

If you need totes, tell us the type, size, condition, and quantity you are after. IBC Recycling Chicago is a referral service: we take your request and pass it to partner suppliers serving Chicago and the Chicagoland area. Availability depends on the supplier.

New totes have never been filled. Rebottled totes pair a new HDPE inner bottle with a used steel cage. Reconditioned totes keep the original bottle after cleaning and inspection. Each suits different jobs and budgets, and the buy page explains the differences.

Used totes are commonly described by condition grades, A through C, although the exact meaning varies between suppliers. Ask what prior contents a tote held and what condition it is in before you commit.

Empty IBC totes take up floor space, and many still have resale or material value. If you have used totes to sell, send us the count, condition, prior contents, and location. We pass that to partner suppliers, and availability depends on the supplier.

What a supplier may offer depends on condition, prior contents, size, quantity, and market demand. Clean totes with sound bottles and cages are usually the most attractive. Damaged totes may only have value as recyclable material, and some may not be accepted at all.

A partner supplier typically reviews your details, asks for photos if needed, and confirms the condition of the totes at pickup or on arrival. Pricing, pickup, and payment are all agreed directly with the supplier.

Not every IBC tote can be reconditioned or rebottled. When a tote has cracked, warped, or held something that makes reuse impractical, recycling is often the next option. We pass recycling requests to partner suppliers serving the Chicagoland area.

Recycling generally means separating the tote into its main parts. The HDPE bottle can be shredded and processed into material for new plastic products, the steel cage can go to scrap metal recyclers, and wooden pallets can be repaired or chipped.

What a supplier can accept depends heavily on prior contents and residue. Have the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) ready, and check current regulations for the materials your totes held.

Pickup and delivery are usually arranged as part of a purchase, sale, or recycling job. Tell us what needs to move, from where, and to where, and we pass the request to a partner supplier. Availability depends on the supplier.

Suppliers and carriers use different vehicles depending on quantity and site access. A site with a loading dock or forklift is simple to serve. A site without either may need a liftgate truck or other arrangement, so mention it in your request.

Requests are welcome from Chicago and the Chicagoland area, including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, and McHenry counties.

A worn or dirty IBC tote does not always need to be replaced. Cleaning removes residue from the bottle, and reconditioning generally adds inspection, replacement of worn parts, and leak checks. Rebottling goes further and replaces the inner bottle.

The right process depends on what the tote held. Water-soluble residue may come out with rinsing, while resins, paints, and heavy residues need stronger washing and may not come out fully. A supplier will usually ask for the SDS before agreeing to the work.

We pass cleaning requests to partner suppliers, and availability depends on the supplier. If your product is food or potable water, ask the supplier for documentation and confirm with your own QA and current regulations.