Which guide to read first
If you are buying, read IBC tote dimensions and rebottled or reconditioned. If you have a pile, read RCRA empty and reading the UN plate. If you are a grower, start with food-grade history and drip irrigation. If you are catching rain, read rain barrels and California law and mosquitoes.
Every guide that cites a rule links the rule. Rules change and your facts may differ, so treat the guide as the question to ask and the source as the answer. The terms page says the same thing in two sentences.
How the guides are grouped
| Job | Guides |
|---|---|
| Size and spec | Dimensions, sizes, stacking |
| Grades and history | Rebottled or reconditioned, food-grade history, triple rinse |
| Rules and plates | RCRA empty, UN plate, retest dates, what not to store |
| Water and weather | Desert sun, drip irrigation, rain catch, rain barrel law, mosquito screens |
All fifteen guides
01IBC tote dimensionsFootprint, height, empty weight and capacity of 275 and 330 gallon IBC totes, in inches and millimetres, with a clear table.02IBC tote sizesThe full range of IBC sizes, why 275 and 330 gallons dominate and how each fits a rack, a truck or a pallet position.03Desert sun, UV and your toteHow sun chalks and yellows an HDPE bottle, why algae grows in clear totes and what a cover does in the Coachella Valley and High Desert.04Drip irrigation from a toteSet a tote up for gravity drip: height, valve and fittings, filters and why only clean food-history totes go on a drip line.05Catching rain in a toteRoof area, gallons per inch of rain, first-flush, overflow and screening, for a tote that catches rain in Inland Empire winters.06Rain barrels and California lawCalifornia's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 lets landowners catch rooftop rain. What it covers and what stored rain is not for.07Mosquitoes and rain totesScreen every opening, keep the lid on and check the overflow. A short guide to mosquito-proofing a tote that holds water.08When a tote counts as emptyThe federal one-inch and 0.3% rule for containers over 119 gallons, and why it matters before a tote moves.09Triple rinsing a toteTriple rinsing is the standard for containers that held acute hazardous waste. What it is, what it isn't and what it doesn't make food grade.10Reading a tote's UN plateWhat 31HA1, the packing group letter, the stacking load and the dates on an IBC tote's plate mean to a buyer.11Tote retest datesHazmat totes need a leakproofness test every 2.5 years. How to read the retest date and when it matters.12Stacking totes safelyHow high empties and full totes stack, and how many fit in a 53 foot trailer, for warehouses clearing or receiving totes.13What never goes in a plastic totePlastic totes are not for gasoline or other Class I flammables, and a chemical tote never becomes drinking water. The short list.14Rebottled or reconditioned?A rebottled tote has a new bottle; a reconditioned tote keeps the old one, cleaned and certified. How to choose between them.15Food-grade history, explainedWhat food-grade history means for a used tote, what paperwork shows it and why rinsing never makes a chemical tote food grade.
Questions people ask
Are the guides legal advice?
No. They summarize published sources and say where to read them. Your permit, carrier and local authority decide your case.
Sources. Last reviewed 2026-11-11.