20 gal Plastic Soda Jugs

[super sappy]

I have an old round up container that is #2 recycled plastic. On a side note I think collecting food in a trash can and selling it gives us as maple producers a black eye . I drove thru Arlington Vt last year and spotted mainline running downhill into a trash can at the end of this guys driveway. Right next to his other trashcans and recycling .Just looked like crap and people see this and think maybe all of us do this. Bascoms has a huge pile of barrels right now I think 20.00 each. Food grade and opentops for easy cleaning. They ship anywhere and are glad to do so. Just my 2 cents -Super sappy

[Dill]

Of course the local place is the drum guy on Rt 4 right here in Northwood. He has used soda jugs, but more importantly he does get olive barrels with the screw off caps. Those are what I like the best. But they dissapear fast. I think he's still at the 15 or 20 dollar mark for the olive drums.

[red maples]

super sappy. I agree the trash cans do look bad.

I think I need to clarify things a bit. I was thinking(always scarey) last night and this morning.

1.Dr perkins is right if a trash can is made of recycled plastic then it does contain BPA's and other harsh and poisonous chemicals that may leach into food and sap so you do want to avoid these.

2. what some companies do is catagorize their items by color. And you can contact the company that manufactures different types of barrels and trash cans.

3. you can also contact your local health inspector (if you really really want to) and ask what is safe to use.

4. As far as hotel and restaurant industry goes somethings you see can be a little scary, from those that are not educated on sanitation. We did use white ones that were designed for food but lookes like a trash can we also had small white white 10 and 15 gallon barrels that we used for dressings and sauces and things that looked like trash cans. The markings on the bottom were the same something like #2 food contact (recycle #2 means the material that is made of and catagorizes it for recycling).

5. but best thing to do is find stuff with NSF(national sanitation foundation) that is designed for food or food storage.

there I feel better now.

[Amber Gold]

It looks like new these are going to run about $30-40 plus shipping. At that price I think I'd be better buying a 30-gal epoxy drum.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Whatever you choose remember you will be moving them full your hard earned syrup. Man do they get heavy when you need to lift them into a truck. I have some of the 5 gallon jugs with the fold down handles and it scares me to lift them for fear of snapping the plastic pin.
Now putting small containers on a trailer is also a pain trying to keep them tied down.

I remember when I started filling a milk jug with syrup was a monumental feat then came a 5 gallon bucket then 2-3-4-5 up to 25 of them
. Last year was the first time I filled 2 55gallon drumps and 25 buckets and what a royal pain it was. I would make the right choice the first time

[DrTimPerkins]

Originally Posted by red maples

...it says right on the container food contact #2

If they say they are food grade, and they've not been used for anything that wasn't food grade, then go ahead and use them. These are NOT the same as trash cans. Trash cans are for trash.

Tim P.
UVM PMRC