Rain barrels can add several long-term benefits to homeowners, such as saving money and avoiding runoff that can be detrimental to local water sources. Anyone can order a rain barrel for pickup at the Northwest Indiana Earth Day Celebration on April 22.
Information on purchasing the 50 or 55 gallon barrels is linked from the Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction’s website, www.PorterCountyRecycling.org. Mail-in orders must be received by April 14; online orders must be placed by April 17.
The purchased barrels must be picked up between 9 a.m. and noon at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division Rd., Valparaiso, on the day of the Earth Day event.
Besides being a great value, these barrels are upcycled. After serving their primary purpose of transporting olives and pickles overseas, the containers were diverted from the waste stream, where they would have ultimately ended up in a landfill, and modified to collect rain water. By purchasing upcycled items, demand for new molded plastic containers is reduced.
According to the EPA, use of a rain barrel can save homeowners 1,300 gallons of water throughout the summer.
Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction has partnered with the Porter County Parks and Recreation Department and the county’s Storm Water Quality Management - MS4 to serve as an ongoing connection for reasonably priced, upcycled rain barrels that anyone can purchase.
Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction is an agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life by providing services and educational programs which help residents reduce, reuse, and recycle. For more information, call 465-3694.