By Greg Howell·Published August 21, 2025·Field Notes
If you have shopped reconditioned IBC totes more than once you have noticed that the vocabulary is squishy. "Cleaned," "washed," "rinsed," "sanitized," "reconditioned" — these words mean different things at different yards. Here is what they mean at ours.
Level 1 · Industrial rinse
- High-pressure cold-water rinse, drain, leak test.
- Bottle visually inspected; no internal residue or odor on rinse-out.
- Cage visually inspected; structural integrity verified.
- Best for: refilling with the same product the tote previously held, or a chemically compatible product.
Level 2 · Detergent wash
- Hot detergent wash, multi-stage rinse, drain, drying.
- Leak test under pressure.
- Bottle interior verified clean and odor-free.
- Best for: switching between non-food products, or refilling with a product not chemically compatible with prior contents.
Level 3 · Food-grade certified
- Hot detergent wash, sanitization with food-contact-approved sanitizer, multi-stage rinse, full drying.
- Pressure leak test and visual inspection.
- Chain-of-custody documentation maintained.
- Certificate of cleaning issued.
- Best for: food, beverage, pharma, personal care, anything where the regulatory body cares.
What we will not do
- Sell a Level 1 as a Level 2 because the customer did not ask carefully.
- Skip the leak test on a tote that "looks fine."
- Issue a food-grade certificate without verifiable prior-contents documentation.
How to verify before you buy
Ask your vendor for the reconditioning level in writing on the quote. Ask whether the leak test is documented. For food-grade, ask whether the certificate is issued under a documented food-safety program or if it is just a piece of paper. The vendors that answer these confidently are the ones to work with.