City of Bemidji offering low-cost rain barrels, compost bins to residents

Mar. 17—BEMIDJI — The

city of Bemidji

has again partnered with the Recycling Association of Minnesota to sell low-cost compost bins and rain barrels to residents.

According to a release, the advantages of compost bins are:

* Composting is a resourceful way to recycle food scraps and yard trimmings, such as grass clippings and leaves.

* Reducing the volume of materials that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or trash incinerators or your neighboring street curb line.

* Saving money on fertilizers and pesticides by using compost.

* Building healthier soil, preventing soil erosion, conserving water and improving plant growth in your garden and yard.

* Helping reduce greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.

The advantages of rain barrels are:

* Collecting and directing rainwater away from the foundation of your house.

* Reducing household watering needs by saving rain for irrigation use; up to 40% of summer water is used for irrigation.

* Recycling rainwater reduces personal energy consumption by using less treated water.

* Creating a source of untreated water to water your garden naturally.

* Recharging groundwater.

* Providing water to landscaped areas that can't be reached by a hose.

The cost is $24 per compost bin and $30 per rain barrel using a discount code, with a limit of two per household. A select number of compost bins and rain barrels are available and ordering will close when supplies run out, the release said.

Residents can save $56 on Recycling Association compost bins and $70 on rain barrels by using the promo code "Bemidji2025."

Orders must be picked up between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, at the Bemidji Public Works Facility, 1351 Fifth Street NW. Orders not picked up by 4:30 p.m. on May 21 will be canceled.

To order, visit

ci.bemidji.mn.us

and click on the "Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Event" link on the home page.

Additional compost bin and rain barrel product information is available on the Recycling Association of Minnesota website at

recycleminnesota.org.

Click on the link for the "Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale."