Raised garden bed (cut bladder), built from a recycled IBC tote
A cut bladder gives a deep, rot-proof planter that outlasts wood, at lower cost, and reuses plastic that would otherwise be shredded or landfilled.
Recycled IBC
Reuses a durable, standardised container. Diverts it from scrap and avoids new-material carbon.
a cedar raised-bed kit
A purpose-built product — bought new, moulded or fabricated from virgin material.
Luke & Dakota Off-Grid — cut totes into deep raised beds →
A real-world write-up with photos of this reuse in practice.
A cut bladder gives a deep, rot-proof planter that outlasts wood, at lower cost, and reuses plastic that would otherwise be shredded or landfilled. That advantage is real for this job specifically — not a blanket claim that a tote is best for everything.
Suitability & safety
Prefer a documented previous-food-use bladder. Treat any non-food or unknown-history tote conservatively and confirm prior contents before reuse.
For any water-holding reuse, shield the bladder from sunlight to prevent algae, fit food-safe fittings, and rinse thoroughly before first use.