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Grand Rapids, MI · est. 2007
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Inspiration

Twenty things you can build with one retired tote.

From the people who've actually built them. Some you can do in a weekend. A couple are weekends of weekends.

Start the conversation

Same form, every page. Tell us once — we route it to whoever's closest to your tote.

01Who you are
02Where you are
03What you need
⟁ Replies within one business day · no phone calls
Garden

Raised Growing Bed

Tote sliced lengthwise = two waist-high beds, ~6 sq ft each.

Garden

Sub-Irrigated Planter

Bottom 12" becomes a reservoir, upper 24" the planting volume.

Garden

Vermicomposter

Cut top, drilled bottom — worm farm with ~1 cu yd capacity.

Water

Rain Catcher (residential)

Top-cut, screened inlet, brass spigot, overflow port. Under-downspout install.

Water

Greywater Reclaim Tank

Below-grade tank for laundry/shower grey water diversion to landscape.

Water

Pond / Fish Tank Sump

Plumbed as biofilter sump for backyard koi or aquaponics.

Water

Stormwater Detention

Buried tote slows roof runoff, releases over hours instead of minutes.

Off-grid

Off-Grid Shower Reservoir

Insulated 275 with solar coil = passive hot shower for cabin.

Off-grid

Earth-Sheltered Storm Refuge

Multi-tote concrete-encased buried shelter, FEMA pattern guide available.

Brewing

Mash Tun (1.5 BBL)

Insulated 330 with sparge fitting and false bottom.

Brewing

Hot Liquor Tank

Immersion heater + insulated jacket = brewery hot liquor reservoir.

Brewing

Hop Spider Trellis Base

Cut-cage tote becomes hop bine base with built-in irrigation.

Aquaponic

Media-Bed Sump

Lower-tier reservoir for aquaponic flood-and-drain system.

Aquaponic

Deep-Water Culture Bed

Tote with floating raft = leafy-greens DWC bed.

Livestock

Pig Wallow

Tote sliced, anchored, plumbed = self-refilling pig cool-off.

Livestock

Chicken Coop Water Tower

Elevated tote feeds gravity-pressurized nipples in coop and run.

Construction

Site Water Caddy

Tote on heavy pallet, 12V pump, hose = dust-suppression and tool-rinse.

Construction

Concrete Curing Reservoir

Tote holds water for misting freshly poured slabs over 7-day cure.

Wellness

Cold Plunge Tub

Insulated, chilled tote becomes a backyard cold-plunge tank.

Wellness

Hot Tub Base / Soaking Tank

Wood-clad tote shell as base for stove-heated soaking tank.

Got an idea we haven't seen?

Send us the sketch. We'll quote it, build it, and probably steal it for our showroom.

DIY safety, briefly

A few things to know before you cut your first tote.

Confirm the prior fill. Don't cut a tank without knowing what it held. Some prior fills leave residue that's hazardous when heated by an angle grinder. Triple-rinse first, always.

HDPE doesn't like a torch. Use a jigsaw with a fine-tooth metal blade, an oscillating multi-tool, or a circular saw with a carbide-tipped blade. Open flame or plasma cutting releases HDPE byproducts you don't want to inhale.

Cage cuts are heavier than they look. Galvanized steel — wear cut gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, and don't try to cut overhead.

Stay away from the valve. When cutting a tank that still has a valve, plug the valve first or remove it entirely. A loose valve can whip during a cut, and they're cheap to replace.

Sun degradation continues. A repurposed rain catcher left in direct sun degrades at the same rate as a stored tote. Tarp if outdoors year-round, or accept a 4-6 year functional lifespan.

Key takeaways

If you only read one section.

  1. 01Triple-rinse before any cut. Don't trust 'I think it was clean.'
  2. 02No torch, no plasma. Mechanical cutting only.
  3. 03Cage cuts are sharp. Wear cut gloves and eye protection.
  4. 04Most builds last 4-6 years outdoors. Tarp for longer life.
  5. 05If the build is for food contact, use a Grade A tank as input. Don't downgrade.