We Buy Used Containers
Turn your surplus buckets, drums & IBC totes into cash — top prices, we arrange pickup nationwide.
Truckload Quantities · We Arrange Freight · Prompt Payment
What We Buy — We Buy Used Containers of Every Kind
Surplus containers are not waste — they are inventory someone else needs. We buy used containers directly from businesses across the USA: 5-gallon buckets, 4-gallon square buckets, 55-gallon drums and barrels, and IBC totes. Instead of paying to dispose of them, get paid for them.
If your warehouse, plant, or distribution center is stacking up empties, you are sitting on value. Food processors, chemical distributors, paint manufacturers, and agricultural suppliers all generate steady streams of reusable containers — and we purchase them in truckload quantities, arrange the freight ourselves, and pay promptly. One call turns a disposal headache and a storage problem into a revenue line.
Used 5-Gallon Buckets
With or without lids, any color. Food-grade or industrial prior contents accepted — send the whole stack.
Used 4-Gallon Square Buckets
The space-saving square format, bought in bulk. Truckload quantities earn the best prices.
55-Gallon Drums & Barrels
Plastic and steel, open-top and closed-top. Food-grade and industrial drums are both welcome.
Used IBC Totes
275 and 330 gallon totes with cages and valves. Working valves preferred.
Have another reusable container in volume? Ask — if it is HDPE or steel and you have truckload quantities, we are interested.
Quantities We Buy
Because we buy used containers by the truckload, volume is the single biggest driver of your offer. Our standard full-truckload counts are:
| Container Type | Truckload Quantity |
|---|---|
| Used 5-gallon buckets | 6,240 per truckload (half loads of 3,120 considered) |
| Used 4-gallon square buckets | 9,000 per truckload |
| 55-gallon drums & barrels | 200–240 per truckload |
| Used IBC totes (275 & 330 gal) | 60 per truckload |
Smaller quantities may qualify — send us the details and we will tell you straight.
How Selling to Us Works
Selling your surplus is straightforward — most sellers go from first contact to a scheduled pickup in a matter of days.
Contact Us
Call +1 920 360 0485 or email alex@thosebucketpeople.com with container type, quantity, prior contents, and location. Photos help us price faster.
Get a Firm Offer
We evaluate your inventory and respond quickly with a straightforward price. No obligation, no games.
We Arrange Pickup
For truckload quantities we schedule the freight ourselves. You just make the containers accessible at your dock.
You Get Paid
Clean terms and prompt payment once the load is picked up.
Why Sell to Us Instead of Scrapping?
Scrap value for a plastic drum is pennies. Reuse value is dollars. Businesses that sell used plastic drums and totes to a reconditioner routinely turn a disposal expense into a revenue line — while keeping tons of plastic and steel in productive use. It is the rare decision that helps both the P&L and the sustainability report.
Here is the math: a grinder pays scrap rates for mixed plastic, but a reconditioned drum or tote goes back into service at a multiple of that price — and we share that value with you through higher purchase prices. That is the economics behind why we buy used containers: every unit we purchase is one less unit molded from virgin resin or rolled from new steel, and one less unit headed for a landfill — the same reuse-first thinking behind the EPA’s sustainable materials management approach. Your sustainability team gets a measurable reuse story, your operations team reclaims floor space, and your finance team gets a check instead of a disposal invoice.
What Affects Your Offer
Every offer is priced on four factors. The more detail you share up front — photos help — the faster and firmer your quote.
Quantity
Truckload volumes earn the best prices. Full loads keep freight efficient for everyone.
Condition
Clean, undamaged containers with intact lids, valves, and cages command top dollar.
Prior Contents
Food-grade contents are the most valuable; chemical containers are evaluated case by case.
Location
We arrange freight nationwide, but proximity to our lanes helps your price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you buy IBC totes?
Yes — we buy used IBC totes (275 and 330 gallon) in truckload quantities of 60. Cages should be intact and valves working.
Do you buy 55-gallon drums?
Yes — plastic and steel, open-top and closed-top, in truckloads of 200–240. Food-grade prior contents earn the best offers.
Do containers need to be clean?
Not perfectly — we recondition everything ourselves. Cleaner containers earn better offers, but be upfront about condition and we will price fairly.
How fast is pickup?
Once terms are agreed, truckload pickups are typically scheduled within days.
Do you pick up nationwide?
Yes — we buy used containers across the USA and arrange the freight ourselves.
What quantities do you buy?
We buy used containers by the truckload: 6,240 five-gallon buckets, 9,000 four-gallon square buckets, 200–240 drums, or 60 IBC totes per load. Smaller quantities may qualify — send us the details and we will tell you straight.
Get an Offer Today
Ready to sell? We buy used containers nationwide — turn your surplus into cash. Call +1 920 360 0485, email alex@thosebucketpeople.com, or request a quote online — tell us what you have and where it is.
Prefer email? alex@thosebucketpeople.com