You might be wondering, what’s the use of a 55-gallon drum that can hold a little over 208 litres of liquid? Understandably, such large capacity drums have a lot of uses in various industries and are widely used too.
However, such large 55-gallon drums have a variety of uses at homes as well. As a matter of fact, millions of Americans use such large drums, made of metal or plastic, for various household purposes.
Actually, you don’t need more than one or, at the most, two 55-gallon drums for household use. However, buying them can prove very expensive Hence, the best way to get them for your home is to try and find free 55-gallon drums.
Finding free 55-gallon drums isn’t really hard. But you’ll need to exert some effort to find out places nearby where you could get them.
Reasons to Get Free 55-Gallon Drums
There’re several good reasons to get free 55-gallon drums. Firstly, the cost. A good quality 55-gallon drum could cost anything from $37 to $700. This depends on different factors like the material, thickness of the drum and usage.
There’re two kinds of 55-gallon drums, broadly speaking. One of these kinds is for purely industrial uses. That means they can’t be used for anything to do with food and drink or other stuff for human and animal consumption. That’s because they could leak toxic chemicals into food and drink.
The second is the pharmaceutical or food-grade drums. These are made of special materials and hence, non-toxic. These can be used for any purpose related to food and drink. If we use these drums carefully, they don’t contaminate food or drink and hence.
Obviously, pharma and food-grade drums or barrels are expensive compared to those used for industrial purposes such as storing chemicals and other such stuff.
Uses of 55-Gallon Drums
Having said all this, let’s look at some of the purposes why people use industrial-grade or food-grade 55-gallon drums at home. That way, you would know which type to select. Generally, most people prefer pharma and food-grade drums for domestic uses. However, for some purposes, an industrial-grade drum would suffice.
The users of a 55-gallon drum are as follows:
- Storing water, usually in areas where water supply is scarce or the area is located far from a water source such as a field.
- Home brewing wines and sauces, especially where fermentation is necessary.
- For animal fodder and other such stuff, that requires some preparation.
- Keeping old clothes and other stuff before donating or disposing off.
- As large trashcans for disposing of junk that can’t be sold off.
- Making compost or other organic fertilizers at home.
- Storage of large quantities of foodgrains, cereals and pulses.
- Burning garbage or sensitive documents without causing ash and unburnt paper to spread elsewhere.
- As a homemade BBQ grill after some modifications.
- Mixing concrete for small home repairs or construction.
In fact, there’re countless uses for 55-gallon drums. In some countries, these drums are filled with mulch and used for growing saplings of fruit trees for sale. Hence, all kinds of drums, whether they’re metal or plastic, industrial grade or pharma and food grade, definitely have some uses.
Best Places to Get Free 55-Gallon Drum Near Me
Since there’re several uses for 55-gallon drums of industrial grade and pharma-food grade, as well as plastic and metal ones, let’s explore some of the places where you could get them free. Actually, it’s quite easy to get a drum or two free, provided you go to the right place.
Before I tell you about the top places to get free 55-gallon drums, here’s something you should know. A 55-gallon drum is quite large in size and often heavy.
This means even if you get a drum or two free of cost, you might have to pay for transporting them from the location to your home. Therefore, consider these costs too.
1. Various Websites
The first place I would look for free 55-gallon drums are various websites. That’s because lots of people simply put a free a on certain websites saying they wish to give away free drums and other stuff to any takers.
Such websites include but aren’t limited to:
Check these websites for any free 55-gallon drum offers or post a free classifieds ad asking for some, if necessary. You could get lucky and find some drums nearby.
2. Community Places
You might come across notices or ads at community places such as shrines and halls about people that wish to give away free 55-gallon drums. These would be within your locality, and hence, bringing these drums home would be fairly easy.
3. Beverage Companies
Local breweries and manufacturers of soft drinks and other beverages usually receive a lot of food-grade 55-gallon drums. That’s because they require various stuff such as preservatives, food colours, flavours, sweeteners and other additives. If there’s a brewery or beverage manufacturer near you, ask them for a few free 55-gallon drums.
4. Chemical Companies
Obviously, what can be a better place to get free 55-gallon drums than chemical companies? They use lots of chemicals that arrive in drums and also pack their own products in drums in some cases. Hence, they will have a very large inventory of industrial-grade plastic or metal drums and could give away a few for free if you live in that city.
5. Cleaning Companies
Caustic soda and lots of other chemicals are used by cleaning companies. They need such chemicals and reagents to remove stains, fungus and other such stuff that accumulates at houses, offices and other premises. They’re also bulk consumers of chemicals and would have a few 55-gallon drums lying around. Ask if they could give you a drum or two for free.
6. Bakeries
You might get lucky and find some food-grade 55-gallon drums at your nearby bakery. Quite a few bakeries use stuff such as liquid glucose and sweeteners, flavour enhancers and food colour and flavours. You can simply ask the owner of the bakery to donate a few empty barrels free of cost.
7. Junkyards
Generally, junkyards and scrap buyers will have a few empty 55-gallon drums at any point in time. They might not give you free, but you can always strike some good bargains and get some free ones along with paid drums. In some cases, they might give away some junk drums free of cost too.
8. Confectionary Companies
Malt, preservatives, food colours and lots of other such stuff are widely used by confectioners to make candy and other such sweets. They would have a few 55-gallon drums and could give you away a few for free. Therefore, check if your nearest confectionery store has some such drum and are willing to donate them.
Other Places to Look for Free Drums
Here’re some more places where you can look for free 55-gallon drums. You will have to call these places to find out if they have any and would give you some free of cost.
- Auto service centres and used car dealerships that use lubes.
- Medical companies nearby.
- Restaurants that use oils in bulk.
- Farm owners that use pesticides and insecticides.
- Homeowners relocating to other cities.
Precautions for Using 55-Gallon Drums
Always have your 55-gallon drum thoroughly cleaned before using it since it might hold some hazardous material or some chemical that reacts with other stuff. These precautions are needed even if you’re using a food-grade drum.
Find out if the drum can leak toxins and contaminate whatever you store inside or use it for. Some drums can also cause soil contamination in the location they’re kept.
Wrap Up
Though it might not be very easy to get free 55-gallon drums for free, at least it is worth a try, most people get lucky after a lot of tries and some effort. As they say, a penny saved is a penny earned.
Emily Morgan is a personal finance blogger dedicated to providing practical advice on managing personal finances, budgeting, and achieving financial goals. With a commitment to continuous learning, Emily empowers readers to take control of their money and make informed financial decisions. Through her relatable and friendly writing style, she has helped numerous individuals transform their financial lives. In her spare time, Emily explores investment opportunities, researches financial technologies, and enjoys discovering budget-friendly ways to travel and experience new destinations.