Baltimore County and Baltimore City residents can pre-order compost bins and rain barrels from now through March 31.
The sale is aimed “to help enable residents to participate in the sustainable practices of home composting and rainwater reuse,” county officials said.
Baltimore County is selling the compost bins for $55 apiece and the rain barrels for $65 apiece, plus a $25 flat rate delivery charge.
Purchase of the bins and barrels is limited to residents of Baltimore County and Baltimore City only.
Residents can pre-order the products through baltimore.enviroworld.us through March 31. After clicking on the link, scroll down below the flier to find links to purchase a rain barrel, compost bin and other supplies.
Orders will then be delivered directly to residents homes between March 15 and April 30.
Rain barrels allow residents to collect rainwater, which they can reuse for tasks such as watering their garden. The water collected in the rain barrels can even be healthier for plants because the rainwater is free from chlorine and other water treatment chemicals, county officials said.
The barrels can also help cut down on water pollution from stormwater runoff, according to county officials.
Instead of throwing away food scraps that will end up in a landfill, composting allows residents to repurpose those materials.
Through composting, food scraps as well as yard waste, like leaves and grass clippings, are able to properly decompose and be turned into a material called “humus” which helps enrich soil.
“When this material is mixed with the soil in your gardens or on your lawn, it returns nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and many trace minerals that are beneficial for plant health and growth,” county officials said. “Using compost also helps increase water retention in sandy soils and aids drainage in heavy and clay soils.”
Baltimore County this year began allowing residents to use certain food scraps in backyard composting. The county prohibits items such as meats, bones, pet waste and more from being composted. Residents can consult the composting guide on the county’s website for a full list of food items that are allowed or prohibited for backyard composting, and tips for maintaining a healthy compost.
Baltimore City last year launched a pilot program allowing residents to take their food scraps to designated drop-off sites, where the materials are then transported to a composting facility. The program has continued this year.
Currently, the city has seven drop-off sites:
- Quarantine Road Landfill
- Western Sanitation Yard
- Eastern Sanitation Yard
- Sisson Street Drop-Off Center
- Northwest Transfer Station
- 32nd Street Farmer’s Market
- JFX Farmer’s Market and Bazaar
Make sure to check your local guidance for what is and is not allowed. For example, tea bags, breads and rice are allowed at the Baltimore City drop-off sites, but those materials are considered prohibited items for backyard composting in Baltimore County.
People can find more information about Baltimore County’s sale of compost bins and rain barrels on the county’s website.
Unfortunately the link provided only goes to a flier. When you go to the actual website, a preorder cannot be placed.
Thanks for information but this just further proves heavy taz and cost city county and state. When government officials wonder why population numbers are declining this one example. I just got back Florida checking real estate properties in Orlando and the City of Orlando offers composting bins and raib barrels for free to their residents. But Baltimore County and City have to drain taxpayers pockets.