The Second-Life Tote Project
Home / Catalogue E / No.031
Reuse No.031 · Metal Cage — Storage & Handling

Firewood storage & drying crate (~1/3 cord), built from a recycled IBC tote

The galvanised cage holds roughly one-third of a cord off the wet ground with full airflow, is forklift- and skid-steer-movable, and lasts many seasons — outlasting fabric bags and site-built pallet racks that fail in two winters.

Component
Galvanised steel cage
Indicative price
CAD $65–$135
Replaces
a firewood tote bag
Alt. cost
CAD $25–$40

Recycled IBC

CAD $65–$135

Reuses a durable, standardised container. Diverts it from scrap and avoids new-material carbon.

vs

a firewood tote bag

CAD $25–$40

A purpose-built product — bought new, moulded or fabricated from virgin material.

See it in use

Instructables — firewood storage from IBC cages (build) →

A real-world write-up with photos of this reuse in practice.

The honest case

The galvanised cage holds roughly one-third of a cord off the wet ground with full airflow, is forklift- and skid-steer-movable, and lasts many seasons — outlasting fabric bags and site-built pallet racks that fail in two winters. That advantage is real for this job specifically — not a blanket claim that a tote is best for everything.

Suitability & safety

The galvanised cage carries no residue risk from the tote's prior contents, which makes it the most broadly reusable component of any IBC.

Indicative Southern Ontario pricing; confirm locally. Not legal, engineering, or drinking-water certification advice. Verify the tote's prior contents and clean appropriately before reuse.