UN-Certified 5-Gallon Pails for Hazmat Transport

If you need to ship regulated solids and your compliance officer wants UN-marked outer packaging, this is the pail. Our M2 5-gallon HDPE pail carries the marking 1H2/Y27/S — an open-head plastic pail, tested to Packing Group II, rated for 27 kg gross mass, for solids only.

That last part matters. The "S" designation means the pail is tested and certified for solid contents. Not liquids. If you're shipping a Packing Group II or III solid — powders, pellets, granular chemicals, absorbent-packed hazmats — the M2 is what you buy. If you're shipping a liquid, that's an M4 conversation (see our liquid-rated pails page).

What the marking gets you

The 1H2/Y27/S marking backs a specific set of drop tests, stacking tests, and internal pressure tests conducted by M&M Industries at their Chattanooga, Tennessee plant. Every M2 pail leaves the factory as a UN-marked container. When a DOT auditor or a receiving customer's compliance team asks whether your outer packaging is certified, the answer is embossed on the pail itself.

Practical implication: this satisfies 49 CFR 173 packaging requirements for substances that fall under Packing Group II and III solids. Common uses we see:

  • Industrial powders and pigments
  • Absorbent-packaged spill kit contents
  • Bulk sample shipments to labs
  • Waste consolidation for approved solid streams
  • Solid oxidizers in appropriate quantities

What the marking does NOT cover

A UN marking on the outer container does not certify:

  • The inner packaging for whatever's inside — that's a separate compliance path
  • Liquid contents — M2 is solids-only; the M4 handles liquids
  • Air transport for liquids, even on the liquid-rated M4 (ground and vessel only)
  • Chemical compatibility with your specific substance (check the HDPE compatibility guide)

We flag these upfront because they're the four questions that come in after someone orders. Worth knowing before you ship.

Specifications

  • Material: HDPE, virgin resin, food-contact grade
  • Wall thickness: 90 mil (nominal)
  • Top-load capacity: 450 lb
  • Gross mass rating: 27 kg (Packing Group II)
  • Closure: M2 tear-tab lid, installed per M&M's published closure instructions
  • Manufactured: USA (M&M Industries, Chattanooga, TN)
  • UN marking: 1H2/Y27/S

Full manufacturer certification is available on request.

Quantities

We ship single pails through full truckloads. Standard pail pricing runs $8.99 each at 3-5 units, $6.99 each at 24-47, and $6.49 each at 48-119. Matching lids are $1.99 each; freight is quoted separately. For custom-printed pails, non-standard colors, or M4 liquid-rated variants, request a quote - those are priced per order based on quantity, color, and printing requirements.