Sustainability Mission
Our commitment to the environment goes beyond recycling. It is the foundation of our business model, our operations, and every decision we make.
Sustainability Is Not a Marketing Claim.
It Is Our Operating System.
At Salt Lake IBC, environmental responsibility is not a department, a slogan, or a page on our website that we update once a year. It is embedded in every process, every workflow, and every business decision. When we evaluate a used IBC tote, we are not just asking “can we make money on this?” We are asking “what is the most environmentally responsible outcome for this container and every material it is made from?”
The intermediate bulk container industry has historically operated on a linear model: manufacture, use, discard. We are building a circular alternative where containers are used, reconditioned, reused, and eventually recycled into new materials — with nothing going to waste. This page provides a detailed look at how we make that happen.
What Happens to Every IBC Component
A standard IBC tote is made up of multiple materials, each with its own recycling pathway. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens to every component when an IBC reaches the end of its usable life at our facility.
Our Closed-Loop Recycling Process
A closed-loop system means nothing leaves our process as waste. Every material from every IBC is tracked, processed, and directed toward its highest-value second life. Here is how it works.
Our Water Recycling System
Water is Utah's most precious resource. As a company whose core process relies heavily on water for cleaning, we have made water conservation a central pillar of our operations. Our water recycling system is one of the most advanced in the regional container reconditioning industry.
The system works in stages. After each cleaning cycle, wash water is captured in collection tanks rather than being discharged. The water then passes through a multi-stage filtration process: first through coarse screens that remove large particulates, then through finer sediment filters, and finally through activated carbon filters that remove dissolved chemicals and odors.
The filtered water is then graded for quality. Water that meets our standards for initial rinse cycles is recirculated back to the first wash stage, where the cleaning requirements are less stringent. Only the final rinse stage uses fresh water to ensure that every container meets the cleanliness standard for its intended application.
This recirculation system reduces our fresh water consumption by approximately 40% compared to a single-pass system. For a facility processing over 15,000 IBCs per year, those savings add up to hundreds of thousands of gallons of water conserved annually — a meaningful contribution in a state where the Great Salt Lake is shrinking and water restrictions are increasingly common.
We are continuing to invest in this system. Current research is focused on adding reverse osmosis capability to our filtration process, which would allow us to reclaim an even higher percentage of our wash water for reuse in later cleaning stages. We are also exploring UV sterilization as a way to safely recirculate water for a wider range of cleaning applications.
Our Zero-Landfill Goal
Our most ambitious environmental target is achieving a true zero-landfill operation. Today, we reclaim 97% of all materials from the IBCs we process. That remaining 3% consists primarily of heavily contaminated materials that current recycling technology cannot safely process, such as bottles that held certain hazardous chemicals and cannot be adequately cleaned for recycling.
Closing that 3% gap requires innovation on multiple fronts. We are actively researching advanced cleaning technologies that can decontaminate a wider range of chemical residues. We are working with our recycling partners to expand the types of plastics and composite materials they can accept. And we are exploring partnerships with waste-to-energy facilities as a last-resort alternative to landfill disposal.
We do not view zero-landfill as a distant aspiration. It is a concrete engineering challenge with identifiable solutions. Each year, our reclamation rate improves as we refine our processes and adopt new technologies. We are confident that achieving 100% material reclamation is a matter of when, not if.
Carbon Footprint Reduction
Manufacturing a new IBC tote from scratch requires extracting raw materials, processing them in energy-intensive facilities, and transporting them across global supply chains. Reconditioning an existing IBC eliminates most of that environmental burden.
Our Carbon Offset Program
While reconditioning IBCs inherently avoids significant carbon emissions compared to new container manufacturing, our operations still generate some carbon footprint through facility energy use, delivery vehicle fuel consumption, and the cleaning process itself. We are committed to addressing those remaining emissions through a structured carbon offset program.
Our approach to carbon offsets prioritizes local and regional projects that deliver tangible environmental benefits to Utah communities. We invest in tree planting initiatives along the Wasatch Front, support wetland restoration projects near the Great Salt Lake, and contribute to renewable energy development in the Intermountain West. We vet every offset project for additionality and permanence to ensure that our investments produce real carbon reductions rather than funding projects that would happen regardless.
In parallel with offset purchases, we are working to reduce our direct emissions. We are evaluating solar panel installation at our facility to offset grid electricity consumption. We optimize delivery routes to minimize fuel usage and are monitoring the development of commercial electric trucks suitable for our delivery needs. Our long-term goal is to reduce our direct emissions as close to zero as possible and use offsets only for the residual emissions that cannot be eliminated through operational changes.
We track our total carbon footprint annually and publish the results in our internal sustainability report. This transparency holds us accountable to our own targets and allows us to measure year-over-year progress toward our ultimate goal of carbon-neutral operations by 2030.
Renewable Energy Plans
Utah receives over 300 days of sunshine per year, making solar energy a natural fit for businesses in the state. We are actively developing plans to install rooftop solar panels at our Woods Cross facility to offset a significant portion of our electricity consumption from the grid.
Our facility uses electricity primarily for our cleaning line pumps, water reclamation system, lighting, HVAC, and material handling equipment. A properly sized rooftop solar array would have the potential to offset 50% or more of our annual electricity usage, substantially reducing both our operating costs and our carbon footprint from energy consumption.
We are currently in the evaluation phase, working with solar installation firms to assess our roof area, structural capacity, and optimal panel configuration. We are also evaluating battery storage options that would allow us to store solar energy generated during peak sun hours for use during our operational hours.
Beyond solar, we are exploring other renewable energy options including purchasing renewable energy credits from Utah wind and geothermal projects, and participating in community solar programs that allow businesses to invest in shared solar installations. Our commitment is to transition as much of our energy consumption as possible to renewable sources over the next several years.
Water Conservation in an Arid State
Utah is one of the driest states in the nation. The Great Salt Lake has been shrinking for decades, and water conservation is a critical issue for every business operating in the region. As a company whose core cleaning process requires water, we take our responsibility to minimize water usage extremely seriously.
IBC cleaning is water-intensive by nature. A thorough triple-wash of a single 275-gallon tote requires a substantial volume of water to ensure that all residual contents are removed and the container meets the cleanliness standards for its intended reuse. Without conservation measures, the water footprint of processing 15,000+ IBCs per year would be enormous.
That is why we have invested in water reclamation and recycling technology from the earliest days of our cleaning operation. Our wash water is captured after each cycle, filtered to remove particulates and contaminants, and recirculated for use in earlier, less critical stages of the cleaning process. Only the final rinse uses fresh water, ensuring that the container meets cleanliness standards while minimizing total water consumption.
We are also exploring advanced water treatment technologies such as reverse osmosis and UV sterilization that would allow us to reclaim an even higher percentage of our process water. In a state where every gallon matters, these investments are both an environmental and a civic responsibility.
Sustainability Report Highlights
We track our environmental performance annually and use the data to drive continuous improvement. Here are highlights from our most recent reporting periods showing how our key metrics have improved year over year.
Salt Lake IBC vs. Industry Average
How do our environmental practices compare to the typical IBC reconditioning or container disposal operation? Here is a side-by-side look at key sustainability metrics.
Partnerships with Local Organizations
Our sustainability mission extends beyond our own facility. We partner with local recycling organizations, environmental groups, and community initiatives to amplify our environmental impact across the region.
Community Garden Repurposed IBC Program
One of our most popular sustainability initiatives is our community garden program, which transforms end-of-life IBC components into practical tools for urban gardeners and community food production.
IBC bottles that are no longer suitable for industrial liquid storage can still serve as excellent rain collection barrels, raised bed planters, composting bins, and water reservoirs for drip irrigation systems. We cut, modify, and prepare these components at our facility and donate them to community gardens, schools, and nonprofit organizations across the Wasatch Front.
Steel cage frames find new life as garden trellises for climbing plants, vertical growing structures, and tool storage racks. These frames are incredibly durable and weather-resistant, making them ideal for outdoor garden applications.
To date, our community garden program has placed repurposed IBC components at over a dozen sites across Davis County and the Salt Lake Valley. We provide free delivery and basic installation guidance for all donated components. This program serves a dual purpose: it gives new life to materials that might otherwise be recycled into commodity feedstock, and it supports local food production and water conservation in one of the driest states in the nation.
We are expanding this program in 2026 with plans to partner with additional community gardens and school garden programs. If your organization is interested in receiving donated IBC components for your garden project, we encourage you to reach out.
Employee Sustainability Training
Sustainability is only as strong as the people who practice it. That is why we invest in comprehensive environmental training for every team member, from new hires on the production floor to our logistics and administrative staff.
Building a Circular Economy in Utah
The traditional linear economy follows a “take, make, dispose” model. The circular economy keeps materials in use for as long as possible, extracts maximum value from them, and recovers materials at the end of their service life. Here is how Salt Lake IBC contributes to the circular economy.
Environmental Impact by the Numbers
We believe in measurable impact. Here is a breakdown of the environmental benefits generated by reconditioning a single IBC tote versus manufacturing a new one.
Figures are approximate and based on industry averages for standard 275-gallon IBC totes. Actual values may vary based on the specific container, previous contents, required cleaning intensity, and transportation distances involved.
Our Environmental Pledge
We pledge to pursue zero-landfill operations and to measure, report, and continuously improve our environmental performance. We pledge to invest in cleaner technologies, stronger recycling partnerships, and more efficient processes. We pledge to be transparent about our environmental impact — both the successes and the areas where we still have work to do.
We pledge to educate our customers, our community, and our industry about the environmental benefits of container reuse and recycling. And we pledge that every business decision we make will consider its environmental consequences alongside its economic ones.
Utah deserves businesses that take environmental stewardship seriously. Salt Lake IBC is proud to be one of them, and we invite every business, farm, and organization in the state to join us in building a more sustainable industrial supply chain.
Join the Green Revolution
Every reconditioned IBC you purchase and every used container you recycle with us contributes to a healthier planet. Make the sustainable choice today.