You can use a variety of tricks to earn money with totes, which are versatile storage containers. Below you will find 3 tips used by the pros to get the most of their totes and actually make money in the process.
Tip 1: Empty All Product from the Tote
You will likely leave some product behind in the bottom of the tote whether you are transferring coating or paint to an applicator or sprayer or moving an ingredient to a batching tank.
If it’s a liquid product, perhaps it’s just a gallon of material left behind, but if it is a viscous liquid, it could be as much as 5 gallons. Either way, the reality is that anything left behind in the tote after emptying it is money, which is why you should get all the product out of the vessel.
Emptying residual products invites creative solutions of all kinds, many of which end up creating safety hazards. Operators sometimes use wood blocks to wed under the tote’s sides as it is draining, keeping the container at an angle. Alternatively, you can lift the tote at an angle on a forklift’s blades to achieve the same result.
Unfortunately, both approaches can still result in an industrial accident, such as crushed fingers from a falling tote or a strained back caused by lifting the tote. To salvage the remaining product, knowledgeable tote owners use a lift that allows them to load the tote onto a frame and gradually tilt it as the product pours out. The ToteTilter is one such lift.
The ToteTilter works with a variety of intermediate bulk containers and provides tile options at 5° and 10°. It uses a compressed air source for lifting the side of the ToteTilter platform to make it easier to unload product. A hand valve or foot pedal provides operator safety while in use, and also comes with optional holes that allow for secure floor mounting.
Tip 2: Eliminate Tote Cleaning Fees
IBC tote users usually hire a cleaning service to clean up their totes in-between uses, or if they lease the tote, they pay a cleaning fee to the distributor when it is picked up. Cleaning the IBC tote yourself and eliminating these fees can be a good alternative solution.
Savvy tote users that opt for this DIY approach can start seeing a return on their investment in tote cleaning equipment within as little as 4 weeks. The TrueClean ToteCleaner is an excellent example of a tote cleaning product.
The ToteCleaner delivers a washing solution to the interior of the tote using a cart-mounted pump. The fluid is then dispersed via a jet head or rotary spray device that sprays the interior walls of the container.
The ToteCleaner works much the same way as a standard household dishwasher. The following is a brief description of how the ToteCleaner works.
1) Fresh water is sprayed into the inside of the tote in a preliminary rise step for the purpose of removing loose particles. The wastewater from this process is subsequently sent to drain.
2) The ToteCleaner’s drain valve is first closed and a caustic agent is then added to the tote’s inside.
3) The cleaning agent is then sprayed automatically by the ToteCleaner’s pump and spray mechanisms across all the interior surfaces of the tote, recirculating the fluid and getting rid of all of the product particles and residues until the surfaces are clean.
The length of time that this will take will vary depending on the nature of the product being removed as well as how dirty the tote is.
4) The drain valve on the ToteCleaner is then opened to empty the caustic cleaning agent from the tote.
5) A freshwater rinse is then performed to get rid of all the particles and cleaning fluids that still remain in the tote.
While the caustic cleaning fluid is usually sent to drain once the wash cycle is complete, some tote operators reuse the cleaning solution over many cleaning cycles until when it eventually loses its efficiency to save even more money. The ability to do this varies, however, depending on the nature of the product being removed from the tote.
Tip 3: Buy Used IBC Totes for All Your Storage Requirements
Recycled totes can be either leased or purchased. If you choose to own your IBC, there are several purchase options available.
Cage-type IBC (i.e. Those with a plastic storage container that’s surrounded by a galvanized steel frame) can be purchased as:
– A refurbished unit (washed cage and new container)
– A new unit (both cage and container)
– A washed unit (both cage and container are used but washed)
A washed unit is usually the cheapest option, while a new unit is often the costliest. A refurbished IBC, on the other hand, falls somewhere in-between.
The choice of the type of IBC you should buy usually comes down mainly to the sensitivity (perceived or actual) of the product stored to any possible contaminants. With the exception of totes used in “clean room” environments, in most instances, a refurbished or used IBC may meet the needs of a processing plant operator at significantly less cost than a new one.
