Service
Selling totes that held chemicals
Totes that held glycol, biocide, reagents or coatings start with one question: are they RCRA empty? After that come the SDS and the label, and then the grade.
Empty, then the paperwork, then the grade
Chemical totes have three gates, in this order. First, RCRA empty: an inch of residue or less, or 0.3% of capacity by weight. Second, the SDS and the old label, so the last contents are known. Third, the condition of the bottle, valve, cage and plate.
A tote that passes all three can be reconditioned or reused for the same product. A tote that passes the first two but is damaged goes to rebottling, regrind or steel. A tote that fails the first one is not empty, and it needs a licensed hazardous-waste hauler.
What the common chemical totes were
| Last contents | Typical source | Usual grade |
|---|---|---|
| Glycol or heat-transfer fluid | Chiller and cooling plants | Rinsed, reconditioned or recycle |
| Corrosion inhibitor or biocide | Cooling-tower water treatment | Recycle only, or reconditioned for the same product |
| Reagents and buffers | Labs and pilot plants | Recycle, or reconditioned for the same reagent |
| Resins and coatings | Coatings and plastics plants | Recycle or washing, depending on cure |
| Unknown | Any | Recycle only |
Brenntag and Univar both list totes among the packaged options they deliver to data-center cooling systems, which is why that is the largest group here. See data-center cooling and life-sciences labs.
What to send with the request
- The SDS for the last product, or its product name and supplier.
- The size, the number of totes and how they can be loaded.
- The Empty Check ticket, or at least the heel in inches and the specific gravity.
- A note on any damage to the cage, bottle or valve.
The Empty Check prints most of this and puts it in the request for you. We never declare a specific tote non-hazardous. The generator makes that call.
Which agency, which rule
The federal empty-container rule applies in the District, Maryland and Virginia, but each answers to its own agency: DOEE, MDE or Virginia DEQ. A lab in Rockville and a chiller yard in Sterling have different regulators for the same tote.
The three rulebooks sets them side by side. Check with your hauler and with the agency before you ship.
Keep reading
- Empty CheckEnter last contents, tote size, specific gravity and heel depth. Get the 40 CFR 261.7 verdict and the next step for the tote.
- Data-center and campus chiller plantsData-center chiller plants empty glycol, corrosion-inhibitor and biocide totes. See how to read the last contents and which next life fits.
- Biotech labs and pilot plantsBiotech labs and pilot plants on I-270 empty buffer and reagent totes. See how SDS records decide the grade and the next life.
- SellSell used 275 and 330 gallon IBC totes from DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia sites. Grade, last contents and SDS decide where they go.
Sources
- 40 CFR 261.7, Residues of hazardous waste in empty containers (Cornell LII)
- Data center fluids (Brenntag)
- Data center offerings (Univar Solutions)
- Register as a hazardous waste generator (DC DOEE)
- Maryland hazardous waste generator compliance guide (MDE)
- Hazardous waste program (Virginia DEQ)
Last reviewed . General guidance, not legal advice.
The request
Sell your used totes
Tell us how many totes you have, what they last held and where they sit. We grade them from what you send.
Totes that are not empty need a licensed hazardous-waste hauler. We take no request for those.