Pickup Service

Got used IBCs taking up space? We come to you. Our free pickup service collects used totes from your facility, pays you for qualifying containers, and ensures every one is properly recycled or reconditioned.

Get a Free Quote

We'll respond within 24 hours

* Required fields. We never share your data.

The Easiest Way to Clear Your Yard

Used IBC totes are bulky. A standard 275-gallon container occupies roughly 48 x 40 x 46 inches of floor space, and they stack poorly when empty. If your operation generates used IBCs regularly, they can quickly consume valuable warehouse or yard space that you need for revenue-generating activities.

Our pickup service solves this problem at zero cost to you. We dispatch a truck to your location, load the IBCs with our equipment, and haul them back to our Woods Cross facility for sorting, cleaning, or recycling. For containers in good condition, we pay you on the spot.

It is a straightforward value proposition: you clear space, earn money on qualifying totes, and get the environmental benefit of knowing your containers are being recycled or reconditioned rather than landfilled. We handle all the labor, all the logistics, and all the paperwork.

Why Free?

People often ask how we can offer free pickup. The answer is simple economics: used IBCs have value. Even containers that cannot be reconditioned contain recoverable HDPE, steel, and wood. The material value of an average IBC justifies the cost of collection.

For containers in reconditionable condition, the value is even higher. A used food-grade IBC that we can clean and resell generates enough margin to cover pickup costs and still pay you a fair buyback price.

Our business model depends on a steady supply of used containers. Free pickup ensures that supply chain stays strong. You get a free service; we get the inventory we need. Everyone benefits.

How to Schedule a Pickup Online

Scheduling a pickup takes about 2 minutes using our online form or by phone. Here is the step-by-step process from start to finish.

1

Submit Your Request

Fill out our contact form or call us. Provide your location, approximate number of IBCs, what they previously held, and a brief description of condition. Photos are helpful but not required -- even a quick phone snapshot speeds up quoting.

2

Receive Your Quote

Within 2 business hours, we send you a quote showing the per-unit buyback price for qualifying containers, confirmation of free pickup for recycling-grade units, and a proposed pickup date. The quote includes all details so there are no surprises.

3

Confirm & Schedule

Reply to accept the quote and confirm the pickup date. You choose a morning or afternoon time window. We send a calendar confirmation with the date, time window, driver contact number, and any preparation instructions for your team.

4

Pickup Day

Our crew arrives within the scheduled window, inspects and counts containers, loads them onto our truck, and issues payment for qualifying IBCs. You receive a detailed receipt and an optional Certificate of Recycling. The whole process usually takes 30-60 minutes.

Pickup Preparation Checklist

A little preparation before our arrival makes the pickup faster and helps you get the best price for your containers. Here is what to do (and what not to worry about) before we show up.

Drain all residual liquids
Containers should be empty or nearly empty (less than 5% residual is fine). This is the most important preparation step.
Leave original labels on
Do not remove manufacturer labels or content labels. This information helps us grade containers accurately and often results in a higher buyback price.
Ensure truck access to containers
Our truck needs to get within 100 feet of the IBCs. Clear a path if containers are in a warehouse or behind other equipment.
Separate food-grade from industrial(recommended)
If you have a mix of container types, grouping them by previous contents helps us assess and quote faster.
Have SDS sheets available(recommended)
Safety Data Sheets for previous contents speed up the grading process, especially for chemical or industrial IBCs.
Stage containers in accessible area(recommended)
If containers are spread across your facility, consolidating them in one area saves time during the pickup.

Our Pickup Fleet

We dispatch the right vehicle for the job based on the number of IBCs and your site conditions. Every pickup truck carries the equipment needed to handle the loading without requiring anything from your team.

Flatbed Truck (26-ft)

Best for: 10-20+ IBCs

Forklift on board (or forklift-ready for dock loading). Ratchet straps. Accommodates up to 20 IBCs per trip. CDL driver with forklift certification.

Box Truck with Liftgate

Best for: 4-10 IBCs

Hydraulic liftgate for ground-level loading. Pallet jack on board. Enclosed cargo area protects containers in transit. Works in tight spaces.

Pickup Truck with Trailer

Best for: 1-4 IBCs (local)

Manual pallet jack. Small trailer for 2-4 units. Ideal for quick local pickups. No CDL needed, so we can dispatch quickly for same-day service.

Multi-Site Pickup Coordination

Businesses with multiple locations often accumulate used IBCs at different sites. Coordinating separate pickups for each location is inefficient and expensive. Our multi-site pickup service solves this by combining collections from multiple locations into a single optimized route.

Here is how it works: you provide us with the addresses of all sites that have IBCs ready for collection, along with approximate quantities at each location. Our logistics team maps the most efficient route and schedules all pickups for the same day or consecutive days, depending on distance and volume.

Multi-site customers often designate one person as their IBC coordinator who tracks inventory across locations and calls us when the combined total hits a pickup threshold. We provide a single consolidated receipt and payment covering all locations.

This service is popular with restaurant groups, food distributors, agricultural cooperatives, and any business that operates multiple facilities generating used containers.

Recurring Pickup Schedules

For businesses that generate used IBCs on a predictable basis, recurring pickup schedules eliminate the need to call us every time. We build your pickup into our route planning so collection happens automatically.

Weekly Pickup

High-volume operations generating 10+ IBCs per week

Fixed day and time window every week. Our crew arrives automatically. Ideal for food processors, chemical blenders, and large manufacturers. Volume discounts may apply.

Bi-Weekly Pickup

Mid-volume operations generating 8-20 IBCs every two weeks

Every other week on a fixed day. The most popular recurring option. Provides regular collection without overloading smaller staging areas.

Monthly Pickup

Lower-volume operations accumulating 10-30 IBCs per month

Once per month on a designated week. Good for businesses with seasonal variation -- you can skip months when volume is low. Standing schedule resumes automatically.

On-Call (Threshold-Based)

Variable-volume operations with unpredictable accumulation

You call us when you reach a preset threshold (for example, 15 IBCs). We dispatch within 3-5 business days. No fixed schedule, but you are pre-approved so quoting is instant.

On-Site Sorting & Assessment

Our pickup crew does not just load containers blindly. Every IBC is assessed on-site during the pickup, which determines both its grade and your payment. Here is what happens at your facility:

First, the crew leader does a quick walkthrough of all containers to be collected, noting the general mix of conditions and types. Then, as containers are loaded, each one is individually assessed: the bottle condition is checked visually, the cage integrity is tested with a quick flex check, the valve is tested for operation, and labels are read to determine previous contents.

Containers are sorted into three streams as they are loaded: reconditionable (good condition, will be cleaned and resold), recyclable (cannot be reconditioned but materials are recoverable), and mixed (requires further assessment at our facility). This sorting determines your per-unit payment and allows us to process containers more efficiently when they arrive at our yard.

For large pickups (20+ IBCs), the sorting process adds about 15-20 minutes to the total pickup time but typically results in a higher total payment because we can accurately identify and price reconditionable containers that might otherwise be categorized as recycling-grade.

Documentation & Receipts

Every pickup generates comprehensive documentation for your records. We understand that many businesses need this paperwork for accounting, regulatory compliance, and sustainability reporting purposes.

Pickup Receipt
Itemized list of all containers collected, including quantity, condition grade, and per-unit price. Signed by both our driver and your representative. Issued at the time of pickup.
Payment Documentation
Cash payment receipt or ACH transfer confirmation. For net-15 payments, an invoice is emailed the same day with payment due date clearly stated.
Certificate of Recycling
Available upon request for containers destined for recycling. Documents quantities, materials recovered, and EPA-compliant processing. Useful for ESG reporting and sustainability goals.
Waste Manifest (if applicable)
For containers that previously held regulated materials, we provide proper waste manifesting documentation per DOT and EPA requirements.
Annual Summary Report
Recurring pickup customers receive an annual summary showing total containers collected, payments made, materials recycled, and environmental impact metrics for the calendar year.

What We Accept

We accept used IBCs in virtually any condition. Here is a breakdown of what we collect and how each type is handled.

Food-Grade IBCs

Cash payment

Containers that previously held food products, beverages, oils, syrups, soaps, or other food-safe liquids. These command the highest buyback prices because they can be cleaned to food-grade standards and resold.

Cleaned, reconditioned, and resold

Industrial IBCs

Cash payment

Totes that held non-hazardous industrial liquids such as coolants, lubricants, detergents, de-icers, or process water. Good candidates for reconditioning to industrial-grade standards.

Cleaned for industrial reuse or recycled

Chemical IBCs

Reduced payment or free pickup

Containers that held non-hazardous chemicals, agricultural products, or solvents. These require specialized cleaning or may be recycled if contamination prevents reconditioning.

Specialized cleaning or material recycling

Damaged or End-of-Life IBCs

Free pickup

Cracked bottles, heavily corroded cages, missing components, or containers too old for reconditioning. These are fully disassembled and recycled for their material value.

Disassembled and recycled (97% recovery)

What We Cannot Accept

We do not accept IBCs that previously held radioactive materials, infectious biological waste, or certain EPA-listed hazardous wastes that require permitted treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities. If you are unsure whether your containers qualify, contact us with the previous contents and we will advise you on the appropriate disposal path.

Minimum Quantities & Service Area

We structure our minimum pickup quantities by zone to ensure that every pickup is economically viable. For locations close to our facility, we can pick up as few as 4 IBCs. For longer distances, larger minimums apply so that the trip makes sense for both parties.

If you have fewer than the minimum for your zone, you have two options: hold containers until you accumulate enough for a pickup, or bring them to our Woods Cross yard yourself during business hours. We accept walk-in drop-offs with no minimum quantity.

For customers who generate IBCs on an ongoing basis, we offer standing pickup schedules. Tell us how frequently you accumulate a truckload, and we will build a recurring pickup into our route schedule. Many of our regular customers have bi-weekly or monthly pickups built into their operational calendar.

Pickup Minimums by Zone

Wasatch Front
4 IBCs
Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Utah Counties
Same-week scheduling
Greater Utah
8 IBCs
All other UT counties
Coordinated with delivery routes
Southern Idaho
12 IBCs
Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello
Weekly route availability
Wyoming
12 IBCs
Cheyenne, Casper, Rock Springs
Bi-weekly routes
Nevada
15 IBCs
Las Vegas, Reno, Elko
Scheduled routes
Colorado
15 IBCs
Denver, Colorado Springs
Scheduled routes
Walk-in Drop-off
No minimum
Our Woods Cross, UT facility
Mon-Fri 7AM-5PM, Sat by appt

Referral Program

Know a business that has used IBCs sitting around? Our referral program rewards you for connecting us with new pickup customers. For every new customer you refer who completes a qualifying pickup (minimum 8 IBCs), you receive a referral bonus.

The referral process is simple. Give us the contact name and business name, or have them mention your name when they call. Once their first pickup is completed, we credit your account. There is no limit to the number of referrals you can make.

Some of our best referral partners are waste management companies, industrial suppliers, janitorial distributors, and food service distributors who encounter used IBCs at customer sites regularly. If you are in a business that sees used totes frequently, our referral program can become a meaningful additional revenue stream.

Referral Bonus Structure

Standard Referral (8-19 IBCs)
$50 account creditPer new customer referred
Large Referral (20-49 IBCs)
$100 account creditPer new customer referred
Enterprise Referral (50+ IBCs)
$200 account creditPer new customer referred
Ongoing Referral (recurring customer)
$25/pickup for 12 monthsEarn on every subsequent pickup from that customer

Credits can be applied toward purchases, cleaning services, or cashed out as payment. Referral bonuses have no expiration date.

The Environmental Case for Proper Recycling

When you schedule a pickup with Salt Lake IBC instead of sending used totes to the landfill, here is the environmental impact of every single container we collect.

58 kg CO2
Emissions Avoided

Each recycled IBC prevents 58 kg of carbon dioxide that would be emitted manufacturing a replacement from raw materials.

97%
Material Recovery

Our disassembly process recovers 97% of every container by weight. HDPE, steel, and wood all find second lives as new products.

42 ft³
Landfill Space Saved

Each IBC that avoids the landfill keeps over 42 cubic feet of non-biodegradable material out of the ground. Multiply that by thousands.

340 L
Water Conserved

Recycling existing materials uses dramatically less water than extracting and processing raw resources. Each IBC saves about 90 gallons.

2.4 gal
Crude Oil Saved

HDPE is derived from petroleum. Recycling the plastic bottle from one IBC keeps 2.4 gallons of crude oil in the ground.

100%
Documentation

Every pickup includes a receipt and optional Certificate of Recycling for your records. Support your ESG goals with verifiable data.

Pickup FAQs

Do the IBCs need to be empty?

Ideally yes, containers should be drained. If residual liquid is under 5%, we can still collect them; call us for partially full units.

Do I need to move the IBCs to a loading area?

No. We bring a forklift or pallet jack and load as long as we can access within about 100 feet on reasonably flat ground.

How is payment handled?

Qualifying containers are paid by check or cash at pickup; ACH within five business days is available for larger loads.

Can I schedule recurring pickups?

Yes. Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly routes can be scheduled so your containers are collected automatically.

Do you provide recycling documentation?

Every pickup includes a receipt, and we can issue a Certificate of Recycling for sustainability reporting.

How far in advance do I need to schedule?

Wasatch Front pickups are typically scheduled within 3-5 business days; interstate pickups within 5-10 business days.

Can you pick up and deliver on the same trip?

Yes. Swap deliveries are common—we drop clean totes and load your empties on the same truck.

What if I only have 1-2 IBCs?

Drop them at our Woods Cross facility during business hours—no appointment required and any quantity is accepted.

Schedule Your Free Pickup Today

Clear your yard, earn cash for qualifying containers, and know that every IBC is being properly recycled or reconditioned. It takes 2 minutes to schedule.