Dirty IBC totes: empties with a heel left
A dirty tote still holds visible product or a heel above what pumping removes. It goes to washing or recycling, not straight to reuse.
01What this grade is
The heel is the line that separates used from dirty. A big heel turns a used tote into a dirty one, and the dashed line in the drawing sits high in the bottle. How much is too much depends on the product and on the rule: a container that held hazardous waste is empty only under the federal test.
A dirty tote may be perfectly sound. The bottle and cage are fine, and a wash will lift it a grade or two. The question is whether the wash costs more than the tote is worth, which is why many dirty totes go to a washer and some to a recycler.
02What to look at
| Part | What you should see |
|---|---|
| Heel | Product visible at the bottom, above the inch line |
| Walls | Streaked or filmed |
| Smell | Strong |
| Free liquid | If you can pour from it, it is not empty |
03What it fits and what it rules out
| Fits | Rules out |
|---|---|
| A washer, which will lift it to rinsed or reconditioned | Any direct reuse |
| A recycler, for the bottle and the steel | Water, food or growing use |
| Rebottling of the cage, if the bottle is bad | A tote with free liquid is not the desk’s to take |
04Which way it trades here
Sellers post it, and the match is a washer or a recycler, not a buyer who needs a tote that works.
A dirty tote is a recycling ticket. The desk reads it that way and sends it down that route.
05What to put on the ticket
- What the heel is
- The SDS
- Whether free liquid remains
- Size and count
06When a heel makes the grade
A dirty tote has a visible heel or film that a rinse would not shift: dried product on the walls, a sticky layer at the bottom, a cap crusted shut. It sits near the bottom of the ladder because the cost of cleaning it can exceed the value of the tote, and because the product may be unknown.
The usual destinations are a washer, who has the equipment to steam or chemically clean a bottle, and a recycler, who needs the polyethylene and the steel and does not mind the film. A washer will ask for the last contents and the SDS, because the cleaning method depends on the product, and some products require disposal of the wash water.
The test of whether a dirty tote is worth washing is the cage and the plate. A sound cage with a readable plate and a current test date is worth the effort. A rusted cage with a faded plate is a scrap job whatever is inside.
?Questions on this page
What is a heel?
Product left in the bottom of a tote after pumping.
Can a dirty tote be saved?
Yes, by washing, if the bottle and cage are sound.