About Us
San Francisco's Sustainable IBC Partner
We buy, sell, recondition, and recycle intermediate bulk containers from our SoMa facility — keeping thousands of tons of industrial plastic out of landfills every year.
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Company Overview
The Bay Area's Leading IBC Reuse Operation
IBC San Francisco is a vertically integrated intermediate bulk container reconditioning, resale, and recycling company headquartered in San Francisco's South of Market (SoMa) district. Since our founding in 2016, we have grown from a two-person operation in a rented warehouse to a team of 34 full-time professionals operating out of a purpose-equipped 12,000-square-foot facility at 157 Bluxome Street.
We handle the complete lifecycle of 275-gallon and 330-gallon IBC totes: procurement from manufacturers and distributors, multi-point inspection, FDA-compliant triple-wash reconditioning, UN/DOT pressure testing, resale to end users, and responsible end-of-life recycling for containers that can no longer be reused. Our closed-loop model ensures that every container is either returned to productive service or broken down into recyclable raw materials — nothing goes to landfill unnecessarily.
Our customer base spans the full spectrum of Bay Area industry: food and beverage producers, agricultural operations across Sonoma, Napa, and the Central Valley, chemical distributors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, wineries, breweries, cosmetics companies, and industrial cleaning suppliers. We currently serve over 450 active business accounts, ranging from small farms purchasing a few IBCs per quarter to large-scale manufacturers cycling through hundreds per month.
By the Numbers
Our Environmental Impact
Our Mission
Prove That Industrial Reuse Can Be Profitable and Scalable
IBC San Francisco was founded on a simple observation: tens of thousands of perfectly functional intermediate bulk containers end up in Bay Area landfills every year — simply because no convenient, reliable reuse infrastructure existed. We built that infrastructure. Today, our facility at 157 Bluxome St processes over 12,000 IBCs annually, giving each container an average of three additional lifecycles before it enters our recycling stream.
Mission Statement
“To build the most reliable, transparent, and environmentally responsible IBC reuse infrastructure in the western United States — making it easier, cheaper, and better for businesses to choose reconditioned containers over new, and ensuring that no reusable container is wasted.”
Our Vision
We envision a future where single-use industrial packaging is the exception, not the norm. Where every IBC manufactured is designed for multiple lifecycles, and where reconditioning infrastructure exists in every major metro area — not just San Francisco. We are building the operational model and proving the economics so this vision can scale nationally.
Core Values
What We Stand For
These six principles guide every decision we make — from how we inspect containers to how we treat our team members and engage with the community.
Circular Economy
Every IBC that enters our facility is evaluated for reuse before recycling. We extend the functional life of each container by an average of three additional use-cycles, dramatically reducing the demand for virgin plastic production.
Local Impact
Operating from 157 Bluxome St in San Francisco's SoMa district, we serve the entire Bay Area with short-distance logistics that minimize transport emissions and maximize convenience for our customers.
Zero-Waste Target
Our facility diverts 98.6% of incoming material from landfills. The remaining fraction consists of non-recyclable residues that we are actively working to eliminate through improved upstream sorting and supplier partnerships.
Transparency
We publish our environmental metrics annually and provide customers with per-order carbon impact statements. No greenwashing — just honest data about the footprint of every transaction.
Customer Partnership
We treat every client relationship as a long-term partnership. From customized buyback programs to dedicated account managers for high-volume customers, our approach centers on mutual success and sustained value.
Continuous Improvement
Our reconditioning protocols, safety procedures, and environmental benchmarks are reviewed quarterly. We invest in R&D for better cleaning chemistries, more efficient water reclamation, and novel end-of-life material recovery.
Our People
Team Culture & Expertise
Our 34-person team includes certified reconditioning technicians, environmental compliance specialists, logistics coordinators, and customer service professionals. Every team member completes a minimum of 40 hours of annual training covering OSHA safety protocols, hazardous material handling, FDA reconditioning standards, and our proprietary quality inspection procedures.
We pay above-market wages and provide full benefits — health, dental, vision, and a 401(k) match — because we believe that a sustainable business model must extend to how we treat our own people. Employee retention at IBC San Francisco is 91%, compared to the industry average of 68%.
Our leadership team brings over 60 combined years of experience in industrial logistics, waste management, environmental compliance, and supply chain operations. This depth of expertise is reflected in the quality of our reconditioning work and the reliability of our service.
Our Journey
Key Milestones
Company founded after founders identified massive IBC waste in Bay Area logistics
Leased first 3,000 sq ft warehouse; processed 800 IBCs in year one
Reached 2,400 IBCs processed; hired first full-time reconditioning team
Invested in FDA-grade triple-wash and UN/DOT pressure-testing equipment
Moved to 12,000 sq ft facility at 157 Bluxome St in SoMa
Launched upstream IBC return programs with 12 manufacturing partners
Crossed the 10,000 annual IBC processing milestone
Published first third-party verified sustainability report
Achieved 98.6% landfill diversion rate; committed to zero-waste by 2027
Our Network
Partnerships & Affiliations
We don't operate in isolation. Our network of industry partners, municipal agencies, and research institutions strengthens our capabilities and extends our environmental impact.
Bay Area Recycling Collective
HDPE granulation and secondary materials market
SF Department of Environment
Zero-waste city initiative alignment and reporting
CalRecycle
State-level IBC material recovery tracking and compliance
REUSE Network (National)
Industry best practices, reconditioning standards
Local Teamsters Union
Fair labor practices, driver certification programs
UC Berkeley CERC
Circular economy research collaboration and lifecycle analysis
Recognition
Awards & Certifications
SF Green Business Certification
San Francisco Department of Environment
Bay Area Sustainability Leadership Award
Bay Area Council
Circular Economy Innovation Award
REUSE Network
Best Workplace — Small Business Category
SF Business Times
Zero-Waste Champion Designation
CalRecycle
Our Operations
Scale That Delivers
Our San Francisco facility processes over 12,000 IBC totes annually. With a fully equipped yard, dedicated cleaning bays, and a trained logistics team, we handle everything from single-unit orders to fleet-scale deployments.
Schedule a Facility TourGiving Back
Community Involvement
We believe that a sustainable business has an obligation to invest in the community where it operates. IBC San Francisco contributes both time and resources to several Bay Area environmental and educational initiatives.
Each year, our team donates over 200 volunteer hours to local organizations. We provide cleaned IBCs at no cost to community gardens, urban farming projects, and emergency water storage programs. In 2023 alone, we donated 140 reconditioned IBCs to Bay Area nonprofits and agricultural cooperatives.
We also host quarterly facility tours for local schools and university groups, providing hands-on education about circular economy principles, industrial recycling processes, and green career pathways. Over 800 students have visited our SoMa facility since we launched the program in 2021.
IBC Donation Program
140 free IBCs donated to nonprofits in 2023
School Tour Initiative
800+ students hosted since 2021
SoMa Neighborhood Cleanup
Monthly participation, 4+ tons of waste removed
Bay Area Green Jobs Fair
Annual sponsor and exhibitor since 2022
Urban Farm Water Access
Free IBCs for 12 Bay Area community gardens
Annual Sustainability Scholarship
$5,000 award for SF State environmental science student
Learn More
Explore Our Story
Ready to Work With Us?
Whether you're looking to buy reconditioned IBCs, sell your surplus containers, or need a reliable recycling partner, we're here to help.