Plastic Barrels and Drums Sale - New & Used

Plastic Barrels and Drums for Sale - Used & New

Looking for plastic barrels or drums that won't blow the budget? Container Exchanger stocks used and new plastic drums in 15, 30 and 55-gallon sizes — open-head and closed-head, food-grade and industrial — sourced from plants across the country and resold at a fraction of new-drum pricing. Below: sizes, the open-head vs. closed-head call, food-grade basics, real price ranges, and the freight questions buyers ask us every week.

Plastic Drum Sizes: 15, 30 & 55 Gallon

The 55-gallon is the workhorse, but 30 and 15-gallon drums show up constantly for smaller batches, tighter storage, or lighter freight. Here's how the three standard sizes compare:

Dimensions are typical manufacturer specs and vary slightly by brand — always check the exact spec sheet on the individual listing before you order.

Need the deep-dive on 55-gallon dimensions specifically — inside vs. outside measurements, stacking, and drum weight by wall thickness? See our 55-Gallon Drum Dimensions guide.

Open-Head vs. Closed-Head: Which One Do You Need? 

This is the single most common question on drum inquiries, so let's settle it up front.

Open-head drums have a removable lid held on by a bolt ring or lever-lock ring, giving you a full-diameter opening. If you're loading solids, sludge, chunky or viscous material, or you need to scoop product in and out repeatedly, open-head is the right call — you can't pour a pallet of scrap into a 2" bung.

Closed-head drums have a fixed top with two bungs (typically a 2" and a 3/4"), sealed and ready for liquids. No removable lid means fewer failure points and a tighter seal — the standard choice for chemicals, water-based liquids, and food-grade transport where spill resistance matters more than access.

Food-Grade vs. Non-Food-Grade Drums

Food-grade plastic drums are molded from virgin, FDA-compliant HDPE and — critically for used drums — need a known, food-safe previous contents history to still qualify as food-grade on resale. A drum that once held syrup, juice concentrate, or water-based food product and has been properly cleaned can be resold as food-grade; a drum with an unknown or non-food previous fill cannot, regardless of how clean it looks.

Non-food-grade drums (previous contents: chemicals, oils, industrial fluids) cost less and work fine for water containment, dry storage, construction, or anything that isn't going near a food or beverage supply chain. Every listing on our site states the previous contents up front — check that field first if food-grade status matters for your use case.

Used vs. New: What You'll Actually Pay

Real numbers from drums currently listed on Container Exchanger:

New plastic drums typically run several times the used price for the same size and head style — used and reconditioned drums are where the savings are, provided the previous contents and condition fit your application. Pricing moves with supply, so treat the table above as a directional range and check live listings for current numbers.

Freight: What It Actually Costs to Move Drums

The freight question comes up on nearly every drum inquiry we get, so here's the short version: cost depends on quantity, distance, and whether the load can go LTL (less-than-truckload) or needs a full truck. A handful of drums for local pickup is often the cheapest path — many listings support will-call. Larger quantities (a pallet or more) typically ship LTL, and freight is usually quoted separately from the drum price itself rather than bundled in. When you inquire on a listing, ask for a freight quote to your zip code up front — sellers on our marketplace can quote it directly, and it's the fastest way to get a true landed cost before you commit.