If you have empty totes to sell, it helps to know how buyers arrive at a number. Pricing differs from buyer to buyer and moves with the market, but most buyback offers come down to the same five variables. Understanding them helps you prepare your fleet and compare quotes from partner suppliers.
Variable 1: previous contents
Food-grade history: highest value. Industrial mild aqueous: high. Fertilizer and ag chemistries: medium. Petroleum, glycol, surfactants: medium-low. Aromatic solvents, chlorinated compounds, unknown contents: little or scrap value only. The previous-contents disclosure is usually the single biggest factor.
Variable 2: bottle and cage condition
A clean bottle in a sound cage on a usable pallet earns the best offer. Repairable damage such as bent cage feet means a deduction; cracked cage welds or a damaged bottle can drop the unit to scrap value. Expect the buyer to inspect at pickup or on receipt and adjust accordingly.
Variable 3: brand and bottle origin
Major-brand bottles (Schutz, Mauser, Greif) are generally the most resaleable and command the best prices. Less-common brands sell for less. Bottles with worn-off manufacturer markings may be downgraded because origin and age can’t be verified.
Variable 4: fleet size and pickup logistics
One pickup of a full load is cheaper for a buyer to handle than several small batches, so larger, consolidated fleets tend to earn a better per-tote price. Very small lots may carry a lower per-tote offer to cover the trip.
Variable 5: distance
The farther the buyer has to travel, the more transport cost comes out of the offer. Some buyers include pickup within a certain radius; others price it separately. Ask how pickup is handled when you compare quotes.
Putting it together
Two fleets of the same size and brand can draw very different offers: a well-documented food-grade fleet in good condition sits at the top of the range, the same totes with fertilizer history somewhat lower, and totes with unknown history may be worth only their cage, pallet, and scrap plastic value. That’s why documentation matters so much.
How to get a better offer
Document previous contents for every tote. Consolidate empties into one pickup. Keep valves closed, hatches on, and stacks wrapped (see the post on shipping empties). Flag damaged units separately. And get more than one quote — requesting a quote through us puts your fleet in front of partner suppliers in Northeast Ohio.
Questions on this one? Use the quote form to request a quote, and we can put you in touch with partner suppliers in Northeast Ohio.