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Comment by mikestew | Hacker News Reader

Okay, what am I missing? I don't know that I've ever seen these containers. I'm in the U. S., are these common containers in other countries? Or do I trip over a half dozen of them on the way to work and just never noticed? The web page implies that the containers are common, so what is their native environment?

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These containers a common for bulk fluids. Locally I have seen them in restaurants for cooking oil (usually inside a box) and pool water treatment chemicals. I can get as many as I want from the community swimming pool.

Do you just walk up and ask for them?

Exactly like that.

Pretty much, you might check your local recycling center. I wish they had a us distributor for their hardware. Seems like burning a bunch of jet fuel to get these here kinda offset the benefit.

Their tutorial covers sourcing the parts I think. It all looks pretty easy to bodge from a hardware store as well. You could get the over-center lever from an old bicycle. Not sure how I would do the latching bracket but you could grind/drill something close out of steel flat bar.

Indeed, it can be strapped together with a piece of an old innertube, and the rest can be improvised.

They are UN-compliant jugs for shipping liquids. They are also food grade (in at least some flavors) so are suitable for potable water. They can be bought new for ~30 bucks or so from McMaster, presumably less elsewhere.

Really common if your selling/buying anything liquid in > 1 gallon but less than an IBC (those metal framed plastic cubes). So not so much the consumer space, but lots of b2b or industrial supply type places use them. They are also quite rugged so they make a good candidate for reuse.

Had the same reaction, really like the design but at least in the central US here I've never seen any in any context, even as waste around commercial establishments.

Don't see them that much here in the UK, but anyone who drives a diesel will probably get their Ad Blu in these things

These look similar to, though much more rigid than, the 5 gallon containers Costco sells bulk cooking oils in (I buy quite a bit of peanut oil for deep frying). Come to think of it, I may give those a try - they are rigid enough to hold gear but flexible and sturdy enough to ratchet down a little bit. Could be a fun project.

Edit: grammars

The 'lanthandel' close to us (Swedish country store, they sell farming necessities as well as food, some ironware and a large scale of oil products) sells oil in bulk in these containers. We use them (cleaned) to carry water to horses, two of them (~50l) fit in a bicycle cart.

Personally, in the US, I'd go for food-grade plastic. If being frugal, I'd get used food-grade buckets that have only been used for food. For example, I've heard of people requesting empty frosting buckets from cake-decorating stores.

> I don't know that I've ever seen these containers. I'm in the U. S.

They are pretty common in both industrial and wholesale contexts, but you aren't going to see them much in retail goods.

You've almost certainly been near a bunch of them.

Those look very similar to the ones for distilled water, amongst other things.

I've seen kitty litter containers used for this.

Oops, see sibling post.

They are in Romania. Good design, guys !

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