Used, as-is IBC totes: what the grade means

The honest middle of the scale

Most used totes arrive here. Nothing is wrong with them; nothing has been done to them either. The buyer either cleans the tote or fills it again with the same product.

When it works

A tote that held a product and goes back to the same product needs no wash. A neighbouring supplier with the same product is the natural buyer. The request should say what the tote held, to the word.

The limit

Used, as-is is not RCRA empty by default. The tote is empty only when the heel is an inch or less, or 0.3% of capacity by weight. Run the Empty Check first.

Why “used” is the honest label

The form’s value for this grade is simply “used”. It describes a tote that was emptied the ordinary way, still has all its parts and was put aside. Most totes on a loading dock look like this. They are not spotless, and they are not damaged.

The label is blunt because it avoids implying work that was not done. A tote that has been through nothing but pumping is not reconditioned, rinsed or rebottled, and the grade says so.

Reuse for the same product

The best home for an as-is tote is a user of the same product. A producer that buys a syrup in totes can take back a syrup tote with a film of the same syrup in it. The residue is not a contaminant for that user.

A different product is another matter. A film of one product in a tote that will hold another can ruin a batch. The buyer cleans, or the tote goes to another grade.

What to include in a request

• The product and supplier as printed on the label.
• How the tote was emptied.
• The heel, measured.
• Whether the label and plate are legible.

A warning about mixing products

A used, as-is tote moved to a different product can contaminate it. Even a small film of a surfactant can foam a batch, and a trace of a solvent can ruin a food product. The buyer for this grade should know the previous product by name.