IBC Tote Buyer's Guide: Sizes, UN Codes & Food-Grade

An IBC (intermediate bulk container) sits between a 55-gallon drum and a full storage tank in the packaging hierarchy — hence "intermediate." A single 1,000L IBC replaces roughly five 55-gallon drums, cutting handling, floor space and freight compared with drum-based liquid logistics.

The standard composite IBC has three parts:

- Inner bottle — a blow-moulded HDPE (or food-grade equivalent) receptacle that holds the liquid. - Outer cage — a welded tubular-steel (or reinforced plastic) frame that gives the bottle its structural strength, stackability and forklift/pallet-jack access. - Pallet base — an integrated steel, composite or plastic base with a bottom discharge valve.

Liquid loads through a screw-top lid and discharges through a bottom butterfly or ball valve (commonly 2" or 3"). Units are designed to be stacked when filled and nested or block-stored when empty. Our range is food-grade bottle-plus-cage construction on a 1,200 × 1,000 mm base with a bottom discharge valve; the 500L standard valve is 3".

Internal links: browse the full [IBC Containers category](/c/ibc-containers), or see companion tanks in [Water Tanks](/c/water-tanks) and containment gear in [Plastic Pallets](/c/plastic-pallets).

Capacity is the first decision. The 1,000L (≈275 US gal) unit is the global default; smaller and larger sizes exist for space, weight or throughput reasons. All sizes below share the same 1,200 × 1,000 mm footprint, so they interchange on standard racking and interlock on a 40-container floor — only height and weight change.

Dimensions and weights above are indicative, drawn from our live composite range (±10 mm on each axis, ±1 kg on weight) and confirmed on quote. A 1,000L unit is the safest first order because valves, fittings, spill pallets and racking are all built around it.

See live specs for every size on the [IBC Containers category page](/c/ibc-containers), and if you're planning freight, read [How many IBC totes fit in a container](/guides/how-many-ibc-totes-fit-in-a-container).

There are two broad IBC constructions, and the right one depends on your product, reuse plan and transport regime.

Composite (bottle-in-cage) — a replaceable plastic inner bottle inside a steel or plastic cage. This is the dominant industrial format. Advantages: lightweight per litre, stackable when full, the bottle can be swapped or reconditioned independently of the cage, and it carries the widely recognised UN 31HA1 code family. Best for chemicals, food liquids, oils, detergents and most bulk-liquid supply chains.

Rigid one-piece (moulded) — a single moulded plastic or metal tank with no separate cage. Advantages: no cage to corrode, easier to clean fully, good for standing water storage or captive on-site use. Trade-offs: heavier, less stackable, and less common in export freight.

Our catalogue centres on food-grade composite bottle-plus-cage units, the format most buyers want for reusable, stackable, transport-rated liquid handling.

If your liquid is a regulated dangerous good, the IBC must carry a UN performance code embossed or plated on the frame. This is not optional — it's how carriers and inspectors verify the container is rated for the load.

Decoding 31HA1:

- 31 — a composite IBC intended for liquids (the 11-series covers solids; 31 covers liquids). - H — the inner receptacle is plastic. - A — the outer packaging / cage is steel (B = aluminium, etc.). - 1 — the design type within that category.

The packing-group letter (X / Y / Z):

- X — approved for Packing Groups I, II and III (highest hazard). - Y — approved for Packing Groups II and III only (medium and low hazard). This is the most common IBC rating. - Z — Packing Group III only (low hazard).

So a 31HA1/Y IBC is a composite, plastic-bottle, steel-cage liquid container approved for medium- and low-hazard dangerous goods. The full stamp also includes hydraulic test pressure, max gross mass, manufacture date and manufacturer, and IBCs require periodic retest and inspection (typically at 2.5- and 5-year intervals under 49 CFR / ADR) to stay compliant.

Food-grade is separate from the UN hazard code. A food-grade IBC uses a resin and manufacturing process suitable for food contact; a *previously food-grade reconditioned* unit is one that only ever held food-safe substances and was cleaned to a recognised standard. If you're filling edible oil, syrup, juice concentrate or potable liquids, specify food-grade at quote — our composite range is built food-grade bottle-plus-cage. For the exact UN stamp and food-contact documentation on any unit, confirm on quote.

On the secondary market you'll see "new," "rebottled" and "reconditioned" units. Knowing the difference protects both your product and your compliance status.

- New — never filled. Guaranteed clean, full UN certification life, no prior-contents risk. Required for most food, pharma and sensitive-chemical applications. - Rebottled — a used cage fitted with a brand-new inner bottle. Cheaper than new, clean bottle, but the cage and base are used. - Reconditioned / rinsed — the same bottle cleaned and inspected to a certified standard, then recertified. Lowest cost; suitable for non-sensitive or non-food liquids where prior contents are documented.

With reconditioned units, condition tier matters more than headline price — always verify prior contents, the cleaning specification, valve type and remaining UN retest life before buying. Trade Entrust supplies new, factory-fresh food-grade composite IBCs container-direct, so you start with full certification life and no prior-contents uncertainty. Compare the trade-offs in detail in our [New vs Reconditioned IBC Totes guide](/guides/new-vs-reconditioned-ibc-totes).

Trade Entrust operates as a private wholesale network — the manufacturer's channel, not a reseller. Specifications, dimensions and CBM are public on every product page; wholesale pricing and a landed CIF estimate unlock when you log in as an approved trade buyer.

How the buying flow works:

1. Confirm your specification — size (500L / 800L / 1000L / 1500L), composite construction, valve size, food-grade, and the UN code your liquid requires. 2. Apply for trade access to unlock wholesale pricing and a landed estimate. 3. Order by the container. Minimum order is typically one full container load (1 FCL); the exact per-product MOQ is confirmed when you apply for trade access. 4. Estimate freight: a 40' high-cube container offers about 76.3 m³ of usable volume, and we estimate units per container from each product's CBM at roughly 85% stow efficiency, or use the supplier-stated figure where available — for the 1,000L composite unit the supplier-stated figure is around 42 units per 40HQ.

Start at the [IBC Containers category](/c/ibc-containers) for live specs, or read [How many IBC totes fit in a container](/guides/how-many-ibc-totes-fit-in-a-container) before you plan freight.