Last contents: what the tote held decides what it holds next
What a tote last held decides what it can hold next. The safety data sheet for those contents tells the desk what rinse the tote needs, what hazard it carried and who can take it.
01Reading the last-contents label
A used tote often still carries the adhesive product and hazard label of its last filler on the bottle. That label names the product, and the product name finds the safety data sheet. The label may be faded, painted over or gone, in which case the seller’s records, the delivery paperwork or the supplier’s name are the next source.
The SDS lists the product’s hazards, its handling and its disposal notes. The desk reads three things in it: the hazard class, whether the product is a listed acute hazardous waste when discarded, and what the maker advises for cleaning the container.
02What each last content allows
| Last contents | Can usually go to | Cannot go to |
|---|---|---|
| Food or beverage ingredient | Water, food or chemical use, with a history record | Drinking water, from a used tote |
| Non-hazardous chemical | The same product, after a rinse or wash | A food product, without a record |
| Hazardous chemical (has an SDS) | Another chemical user, cleaned and certified; or a washer or recycler | Food, water for growing or any use that touches a plant |
| Water or rinse only | Almost any use the tote’s condition allows | Nothing special |
| Unknown | An inquiry only | Any trade until the contents are known |
03Compatibility is a chemistry question
A plastic bottle can absorb or be attacked by some contents. ISO 13274 is a standard for plastics compatibility testing of packaging and IBCs, and ASTM D7387 is a test method for vibration testing of IBCs used for shipping liquid hazardous materials. A tote that did one job well may not suit another, and the maker or the product’s supplier is the right person to ask.
The desk matches totes and does not give chemical-compatibility advice.
04On the ticket
The form asks what the totes last held and offers five answers: a food or beverage ingredient, a non-hazardous chemical, a hazardous chemical with an SDS, water or rinse only, or unknown. Choose the closest one, and add the product name in the note. A seller who has the SDS saves a round of questions.
?Questions on this page
What was in my IBC tote?
Check the label on the bottle, the delivery paperwork or the supplier. If you cannot tell, say Unknown on the ticket.
What is an SDS?
A safety data sheet for the product the tote last held.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-11. Rules change; read the current text before you act on it.