05.3Resources · FAQ
Honest, short answers
The questions
we get every week.
If you've got a question that isn't here, email the yard — we'll answer and then we'll add it.
Form · Quick Quote
Skip the phone tag. Leave a note — we'll reply by email.
01How do I actually buy a tote from you?+
Email the yard or use the quote form. Tell us what you'll be storing and how many totes. We'll reply within one business day with pricing, availability, and a pickup or delivery window.
02Why don't you publish a phone number?+
Every interaction we have gets a written record: quote, bill of lading, ledger entry, follow-up. Phone calls would break that pattern and cost our small team a disproportionate amount of attention. We reply to every email inside one business day.
03Is a Grade A tote safe for drinking water?+
Yes, if the previous contents were a labeled food-grade substance (syrup, cider, juice, water) and the tank has passed our triple-rinse + UN31A re-certification. We document all of that in the tank ledger for each unit.
04Can you store hazardous chemicals in a recycled tote?+
Some, under specific DOT rules, only in a UN31A-currently-certified tank. Reach out before you buy — we will not sell a tote for a use its certification doesn't cover.
05Do you ship nationally?+
Regionally is our specialty (PA/OH/WV same-day; MD/NY/IN/KY next-day). We'll ship farther for bulk, but the freight math usually doesn't work for single units.
06Can I come see the yard?+
Yes. We welcome walk-throughs by appointment Monday through Friday. Email ahead so we can have someone to show you around.
07What happens to a tote you can't save?+
It gets granulated in our 3-inch mill. The HDPE pellets go to regional re-bottlers, the cage goes to metal recyclers in Etna or Sharpsburg, and the gaskets go to an elastomer reclaimer in Akron. Nothing hits a landfill — see the Sustainability page for audit numbers.
08Do you sell pellets?+
We sell reclaimed HDPE pellets in 1,000-lb gaylord loads to U.S. re-bottlers. Not to individuals or small makers — the logistics don't pencil out at small volumes.
09I have three totes sitting behind my business. Will you really come get them?+
Yes. Three totes qualifies for a Zone 1 same-day pickup for a flat fee (often net-zero after the buy-back credit). Email us a photo and an address; we'll reply with a quote.
10Can I pay cash? Credit card? Check?+
Yes to all three. Cash works on pickup, credit card is a phone-free click-to-pay link, check is fine on a net-15 basis for established accounts.
11Do you have a return policy?+
If a tote doesn't perform as graded, we'll take it back or credit you — no questions. We're playing a long game and we'd rather eat a single-unit return than lose a repeat customer.
12Why do you call it a 'ledger' instead of a 'catalog'?+
Because a ledger is a written record of what actually happened, not a menu of what we'd like to sell. Each tank's entry is closed when the tank leaves the yard, not when it arrives.
Deeper questions, less frequent.
Questions we get a few times a quarter that still deserve a full answer.
01What happens between pickup and delivery when I sell totes back?+
Intake inspection (90 seconds, photographed), residue triage, weigh-in on a certified scale, and ledger entry — all before the tanks touch a wash bay. You get the weigh slip and the ledger IDs in the same email as the payment confirmation.
02How long until a sold-back tote actually gets reused or recycled?+
Median turnaround is 9 calendar days from intake to outbound. Grade A tanks typically move faster (4–6 days) because they're in steady demand. Retirement batches accumulate weekly; the granulator runs on Tuesdays.
03Can you supply with custom printing, tagging, or numbering?+
Yes — we stencil ledger IDs on every tank we ship. Custom printing (company name, batch number, lot code) carries a modest per-tank charge depending on run size. We use oil-based ink that survives weather and a triple-rinse.
04What's the difference between a reconditioned tote and a rebottled one?+
Reconditioned keeps the original inner bottle — cleaned, sanitized, pressure-tested, graded. Rebottled replaces the HDPE bottle entirely inside the existing steel cage and pallet. Rebottled is functionally a new tank with a salvaged frame; reconditioned is a clean used tank.
05Do you offer any rental or short-term lease options?+
Yes, for volumes of 10+ tanks and terms of 30–180 days. We typically run leases for construction water, event concessions, and agricultural summer-fill uses. Email us with duration, liquid, and quantity and we'll build a quote.
06Can I ship hazmat residues back to you?+
No. We intake only rinsed or RCRA-empty tanks. If your tank still contains product, we'll give you the name of a local industrial waste handler who can triple-rinse in-field and then we'll intake the cleaned tank afterward.
07Do you maintain insurance certificates?+
Yes — full general liability, auto, pollution legal liability, and cargo coverage. Certificates of insurance with additional-insured endorsements are issued on request within one business day.
08What's your typical lead time for rebottled food-grade units?+
Five to nine business days for quantities up to 50 units. Over 50 we schedule against the food-grade cell's weekly capacity and confirm a fixed delivery window before invoicing.
Delivery & freight, in one table.
The zones our trucks run, the typical day-windows, and what triggers a bump to “next business day.”
| Zone | Included counties / metros | Typical window | Minimum load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 — Same day | Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington, Westmoreland | Request by 10:00, delivered by 17:00 | 1 tank (flat rate) |
| Zone 2 — Overnight | Armstrong, Lawrence, Greene, Fayette, Mercer | Next business day, AM or PM | 3 tanks |
| Zone 3 — Regional | Cleveland, Columbus, Morgantown, Wheeling, Erie | 1–2 business days | 6 tanks |
| Zone 4 — Extended | Buffalo, Harrisburg, Louisville, Indianapolis, Richmond | 2–4 business days, consolidated | 12 tanks |
| Zone 5 — Freight broker | Anywhere in the contiguous U.S. within 500 mi one-way | Coordinated case-by-case | Quote-driven |
Windows may slip in heavy weather, during holiday-adjacent weeks, or if the route passes through active PennDOT work zones on I-79 or I-376. We call or email the moment we know of a delay.