- IBC
- Intermediate Bulk Container. The family of 275- and 330-gallon shipping containers this whole site is about.
- Composite IBC
- An IBC with an HDPE inner bottle and a separate metal cage. The most common type.
- HDPE
- High-density polyethylene. The plastic used for the inner bottle of a composite IBC.
- UN/DOT
- United Nations / US Department of Transportation. The regulatory scheme that certifies containers for shipping hazardous materials. IBCs are commonly UN 31HA1 (composite) or UN 31A (steel).
- Packing Group (PG)
- The hazard severity classification for the contents. PG I = high, PG II = medium, PG III = low. IBCs are typically rated for PG II and III.
- Reconditioned
- A tote that has been cleaned, pressure-tested, and re-labeled. The HDPE bottle is the original.
- Rebottled
- A tote where the HDPE bottle has been replaced with a new one while the cage, valve, and pallet are reused. See rebottled page.
- Rewrapped
- Synonym for rebottled, in some regional usage. Same thing.
- S60x6
- The European coarse standard thread for IBC fill caps. 60mm outside diameter, 6mm pitch. Our most common fill thread.
- S56
- The older / alternate American coarse thread for IBC fill caps. Still widespread.
- Camlock
- A quick-disconnect hose coupling standard (Type A–F). Common for IBC valve outlets.
- NPT
- National Pipe Thread (tapered). The US standard for threaded fittings. Most IBC bottom valves are 2" NPT.
- NSF / ANSI
- National Sanitation Foundation standards. NSF/ANSI 61 covers drinking water system components. Our food-grade cleaning is equivalent to the relevant NSF protocols.
- FDA-compliant
- Shorthand for "made from FDA-approved food-contact materials." The HDPE in most IBC bottles is. Compliance, however, is a chain — see the food-grade page.
- Pressure test
- Inflating the sealed tote to 3 PSI and holding it for 10 minutes to verify no leaks. Required for UN/DOT re-certification.
- Caustic loop
- A cleaning stage that uses mild alkaline detergent, hot water, and agitation to remove food residues. Used only on food-grade track.
- Triage
- Yard slang for the initial inspection and grading of an inbound tote. Every tote gets triaged within 24 hours of arrival.
- Chalk serial
- Our internal tracking number, literally chalked onto the cage at triage. Ties the tote to our reconditioning ledger.
- Cage
- The galvanized steel exoskeleton that supports the HDPE bottle. Provides structure, stackability, and load transfer to the pallet.
- Cross-member
- A horizontal bar in the cage. Bent cross-members can often be straightened; fractured ones cannot.
- Pallet
- The 48"×40" base of the IBC. Usually steel on newer totes, wood on older, occasionally composite.
- Food-grade
- A tote certified suitable for edible contents. Requires known previous contents, documented cleaning, and visual/odor clearance. See food-grade page.
- Technical grade
- A tote intended for industrial (non-edible) use. The broad category of "standard" totes.
- Food-safe vs food-grade
- A subtle distinction. "Food-safe" often refers to the material (HDPE is food-safe). "Food-grade" is about the specific container\'s history and certification.
- A-grade / B-grade / X-grade
- Our internal condition grades. A = fully reconditioned + UN re-label. B = cleaned and functional. X = as-is.
- Drop-trailer
- A trailer left at a customer\'s dock for them to load or unload at their own pace, picked up later. Our preferred logistics method.
- Rebottle-ready cage
- A cage in good enough shape to accept a new HDPE bottle — straight cross-members, intact galvanization, healthy welds.
- Grinder flake
- HDPE ground down to 10–25mm fragments. The first step in recycling a bottle.
- Rework
- Fabricating something new out of a used tote. Rain barrels, hydroponic rigs, fermenters.
- Blow molding
- The manufacturing process for HDPE bottles. Molten plastic is inflated inside a mold like a balloon. Produces the seamless, one-piece bottles used in composite IBCs.
- Galvanization
- Coating steel with zinc to prevent corrosion. Hot-dip galvanization (immersion in molten zinc) is the standard for IBC cages. Typical coating thickness: 40–60 microns.
- Viton (FKM)
- A fluoroelastomer gasket material with excellent chemical and heat resistance. Used on caged-steel and chemical-service totes. Temperature range: -15°F to 400°F.
- EPDM
- Ethylene propylene diene monomer. A rubber gasket material common in food and water applications. Good heat resistance (to 300°F). Not suitable for petroleum products.
- Stress-whitening
- White marks or patches on HDPE that indicate the plastic has been stretched beyond its elastic limit. A sign of impact damage, overloading, or chemical attack. Compromises bottle integrity.
- Cross-member
- A horizontal bar in the IBC cage. Typical cage has 32 cross-members (8 per side). Bent cross-members can sometimes be straightened; kinked ones cannot.
- Borescope
- A flexible camera probe used to inspect the interior of steel and stainless totes without opening them. Our borescope is 6mm diameter with LED illumination and video recording.
- Passivation
- A chemical treatment that enhances the chromium oxide layer on stainless steel, improving corrosion resistance. Done with citric acid or nitric acid per ASTM A967.
- Electropolish (EP)
- An electrochemical process that simultaneously smooths and passivates stainless steel. Produces a mirror finish with Ra values below 0.4 μm. Required for pharma applications.
- Ra (surface roughness)
- Arithmetic average roughness, measured in micrometers (μm). Lower Ra = smoother surface. Pharmaceutical IBC requirements are typically Ra ≤ 0.5 μm.
- CIP (Clean-In-Place)
- An automated cleaning process that circulates cleaning solution through equipment without disassembly. Common in food and pharma. Stainless IBCs with spray balls are CIP-compatible.
- SIP (Steam-In-Place)
- Sterilization using saturated steam (250–270°F) circulated through the container. Requires heat-resistant gaskets (silicone or PTFE, not EPDM).
- Tri-clamp
- A sanitary fitting standard using a clamp over two flanged ferrules with a gasket between them. Common on stainless IBCs for food, pharma, and biotech. Quick to assemble and disassemble without tools.
- GMA pallet
- The standard 48" × 40" pallet size specified by the Grocery Manufacturers Association. The dominant pallet size in North America. All standard IBC totes ship on GMA pallets.
- Euro pallet
- The European standard pallet at 1,200 × 800 mm (47.2" × 31.5"). European 1,000L IBCs use the larger 1,200 × 1,000 mm variant. Not directly compatible with US racking.
- Packing Group
- UN hazard severity classification: PG I (high danger), PG II (medium), PG III (low). Most IBCs are rated for PG II and III. PG I typically requires a UN-rated drum or specialized container.
- 49 CFR 173.28
- The US federal regulation governing reconditioning and reuse of non-bulk and bulk packaging, including IBC totes. Specifies testing, marking, and record-keeping requirements.
- 49 CFR 178.801
- The US federal regulation specifying design qualification testing and periodic retest requirements for IBCs. Our pressure testing and UN relabeling comply with this section.
- Bulkhead fitting
- A plumbing fitting that passes through a container wall with watertight seals on both sides. Used to add inlets, outlets, and ports to IBC totes during fabrication projects.
- First-flush diverter
- A plumbing device that discards the first few gallons of rainwater from a roof (which carry debris and bird droppings) before allowing clean water to flow into a rain barrel.
- NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)
- A hydroponic growing method where a thin film of nutrient solution flows through a channel past plant roots. IBC totes serve as excellent NFT reservoirs.
- DWC (Deep Water Culture)
- A hydroponic method where plant roots are suspended in a deep reservoir of oxygenated nutrient solution. IBC totes are popular DWC tanks due to their volume and low cost.
- Matched route
- Our logistics strategy of pairing every outbound delivery with an inbound pickup on the return leg, minimizing empty miles and reducing freight cost and carbon per unit.
- Tipping fee
- The charge for dumping waste at a landfill, measured per ton. Charlotte-area tipping fees run $45–$65/ton. We have never paid one.
- HDPE flake
- The output of grinding an HDPE bottle. Flake size: 10–25 mm. Sold to a re-pelletizer who melts and re-forms it into pellets for manufacturing new plastic products.
- Cold galvanizing
- A zinc-rich paint or spray applied to bare steel to restore corrosion protection in areas where hot-dip galvanization has worn off. We use it on cage touch-up repairs.
- Dunnage
- Material placed between stacked loads to protect them during transport. For IBC totes, dunnage is typically plywood or cardboard between rows of different-height totes.
- Seal number
- A unique numbered tamper-evident seal applied to a loaded trailer door. Photographed at origin and verified at destination to confirm the load was not opened in transit.
- EAF (Electric Arc Furnace)
- A steel-melting furnace powered by electricity rather than coal. Our cage steel goes to an EAF mill in Cayce, SC — making the recycling process lower-carbon than traditional steelmaking.
- Re-pelletizer
- A facility that takes recycled HDPE flake and processes it back into uniform plastic pellets suitable for injection molding or extrusion. Our flake goes to a re-pelletizer in eastern NC.
- Rouge
- Iron oxide discoloration on stainless steel surfaces, typically appearing as a reddish-brown stain. Caused by free iron contamination, inadequate passivation, or exposure to chlorides. Removed by re-passivation.
- Weld sensitization
- A metallurgical condition where heat from welding causes chromium carbide precipitation in stainless steel, reducing corrosion resistance near the weld. Low-carbon grades (316L) and stabilized grades (316Ti) resist this.