IBC Pickup & Recycling
Do not let used IBC totes take up space or end up in a landfill. ABC IBC offers free and paid pickup services for used, empty, and end-of-life IBC tanks. We recycle every component — and we mean every component — with a 98% material recovery rate.
Schedule IBC Pickup
Get a free quote for IBC tote pickup and recycling services.
Every Tote Recycled Matters
When you recycle an IBC tote through ABC IBC instead of sending it to a landfill, here is the real-world impact of that single decision.
Free Pickup for Qualifying Quantities
We offer free IBC tote pickup when you have enough units to make a collection run efficient. Here is how it works.
Contact Us
Tell us how many totes you have, their approximate condition, what they previously held, and your location. We will let you know if you qualify for free pickup.
We Schedule Collection
Our logistics team coordinates a pickup date and time window that works for your operation. We bring our own equipment — all you need is forklift access or ground-level loading.
We Haul & Process
Our crew loads the totes, transports them to our Nashville facility, and processes each one. Reusable totes go to cleaning and reconditioning. End-of-life totes go to full material recycling.
Typical free pickup threshold: 10 or more totes within the Nashville metro area, or 20+ totes for locations within 200 miles. For smaller quantities or longer distances, we offer affordable paid pickup with competitive per-unit rates. We also accept drop-offs at our facility at 2417 Kline Ave, Nashville, TN 37211.
How IBC Tote Recycling Works
An IBC tote is not a single material — it is an assembly of three distinct components, each with its own recycling pathway. We dismantle every tote and ensure that each material stream reaches the right processor.
Intake & Sorting
Incoming totes are sorted into two streams: those eligible for reconditioning and resale, and those designated for end-of-life recycling. Totes with intact HDPE bottles, functional cages, and no hazardous contamination history are candidates for reconditioning. Everything else goes to full material recovery.
Dismantling
End-of-life totes are fully disassembled. The HDPE plastic bottle is separated from the steel cage frame. The valve assembly, cap, and gaskets are removed. The pallet base — whether wood, steel, or composite — is detached. Each component is sorted into its dedicated material stream.
Material Processing
Each material is prepared for its specific recycling channel. HDPE bottles are rinsed, shredded into flakes, and washed again to remove any residual contaminants. Steel cages are cut, baled, or loaded loose for scrap processing. Pallets are either repaired for reuse or broken down into raw materials (wood chips, scrap steel, or plastic regrind).
Recycling & New Life
Processed materials are shipped to specialized recyclers and manufacturers. HDPE flakes become pellets for new plastic products. Steel is melted and recast at foundries. Wood becomes mulch or biomass fuel. Composite pallets are ground into feedstock for new pallet production. The cycle begins again.
What Happens to Each Component
The Bottle
High-density polyethylene is one of the most recyclable plastics on the planet. We shred IBC bottles into uniform flakes, wash them to food-safe cleanliness standards, and sell the clean regrind to manufacturers. Recycled HDPE becomes drainage pipes, plastic lumber, non-food containers, automotive components, and even new IBC bottles. HDPE retains its structural properties through multiple recycling cycles, making it an exceptionally valuable material stream.
Average weight per IBC bottle: ~55 kg of recoverable HDPE.
The Cage Frame
Galvanized steel cage frames are among the most efficiently recycled materials in the industrial world. Steel is infinitely recyclable — it can be melted down and recast without any loss in quality or structural integrity. We send cage frames to regional steel foundries where they are smelted alongside other scrap steel to produce new structural steel, rebar, sheet metal, and more. Recycling steel uses 74% less energy than producing it from virgin iron ore.
Average weight per cage frame: ~25-35 kg of recoverable steel.
The Base
IBC pallets come in three varieties: wooden, steel, and composite/plastic. Each has its own recycling pathway. Wooden pallets in good condition are repaired and returned to service. Damaged wooden pallets are chipped for landscape mulch, animal bedding, or biomass energy generation. Steel pallets follow the same foundry recycling path as cage frames. Composite and plastic pallets are ground into granules and used as feedstock for new pallet manufacturing.
Average weight per pallet: ~15-25 kg of recoverable material.
The Environmental Cost of Not Recycling
An IBC tote that goes to a landfill is not just wasted space — it is a concentrated package of embodied energy, raw materials, and carbon that will never be recovered. A single 275-gallon IBC tote contains roughly 55 kg of HDPE plastic, 30 kg of galvanized steel, and 20 kg of wood or composite. Manufacturing those materials from scratch required approximately 120 kg of CO2 emissions, 500 liters of process water, and significant quantities of petroleum, iron ore, and timber.
When that tote is landfilled, all of those resources are permanently lost. The HDPE will not decompose for 400+ years. The steel will eventually corrode but never return to productive use. The treated wood may leach chemicals into the soil. Compare that to recycling, where 98% of those materials are recovered and returned to the manufacturing economy within weeks.
Across the United States, an estimated 2-3 million IBC totes are discarded every year. If all of them were recycled instead of landfilled, it would prevent over 300,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually — equivalent to taking 65,000 cars off the road. At ABC IBC, we are doing our part to make that vision a reality.
What We Accept
We accept IBC totes in virtually any condition for recycling. You do not need to clean them, drain them, or prepare them in any way — that is our job. Here is what we take:
- Clean, empty totes that have been rinsed by the previous user. These are prime candidates for reconditioning rather than recycling.
- Dirty totes with residual product from industrial, agricultural, or food-processing use. We handle the cleaning and proper disposal of residual contents.
- Damaged totes with cracked bottles, bent cages, broken pallets, or missing valves. These go straight to material recycling.
- UV-degraded totes that have been stored outdoors and show significant yellowing or brittleness. The HDPE is still fully recyclable.
- Surplus or excess inventory from businesses downsizing, closing, or changing their packaging approach.
Note: Totes that previously held hazardous materials may require special handling and are subject to additional fees. Contact us with details about previous contents and we will advise on the best approach.
Our Zero-Waste Commitment
ABC IBC operates under a zero-waste-to-landfill policy. Every tote that enters our facility exits as either a reconditioned product ready for reuse or as separated raw materials bound for certified recycling processors. Even the wash water from our cleaning operations is treated and either reused or discharged in compliance with local water quality regulations. Our goal is not just to recycle — it is to ensure that the full lifecycle of every IBC tank contributes to a circular economy.
Learn more about our broader environmental mission on our sustainability page.
Got Totes That Need to Go?
Whether you have 5 or 500, we will pick them up, process them responsibly, and keep every ounce of material out of the landfill. Schedule a pickup today.