Kane County's Sprout 'n' Spout Rain Barrel and Compost Bin Program is Back!
Kane County Recycles and Clean Water for Kane are partnering with The Conservation Foundation in 2024 to provide affordable compost bins and rain barrels in a time-limited spring sale!
Earth Machine composters are available for $75.50 in limited quantities, and UpCycle Rain Barrels are $69.50. Upcycle Products was started with the intent of providing a low-cost option for conserving water. With the cost of shipping barrels continually going up, it is a great benefit to residents to provide an opportunity for them to pick up their orders right in their own community with no delivery fee.
- Order NOW! Bins and barrels are available for a limited time. Please pre-order here before May 5, 2024. Mail in orders are due by May 2, 2024.
- Cost: Rain barrels are $69.50 each and stationary composters are $75.50 each. Other rain barrel and compost bin configurations and accessories are also available.
- Pick up your pre-ordered bins and barrels at the Creek Bend Nature Center at the LeRoy Oaks Forest Preserve (37W700 Dean St., St. Charles) from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2024.
- Home delivery is also available for an additional $42.50. With increased shipping costs this year, we recommend residents take full advantage of the local sale and pick-up opportunity. Home delivery through the pre-order link will begin May 5 after the pick-up event ordering ends. If you would like to order for home delivery now, please go to The Conservation Foundation website's rain barrel page.
- Learn more about rain barrels and backyard stormwater management; join Kane County's Department of Environmental and Water Resources for a Conservation@Home presentation on April 16 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. via zoom. Click here to register for the webinar event.
What are the benefits of a rain barrel?
- Great way to conserve water and use it for your landscaping and garden.
- Reduces stormwater runoff and mitigates pollution in waterways
- Promotes healthy soil as rainwater is free of salts, minerals and treated chemicals
- By harvesting your own water source you can significantly reduce you water bill
View this guide or watch this video for easy installation tips and check out our FAQ to learn how to use your rain barrel.
Why Compost?
Composting is a key to our waste reduction efforts, and when we compost instead of landfill our food scraps, we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and returning nutrients to the soil where they belong. There are many benefits to composting.
It's earth-friendly: Food scraps and yard waste make up the largest portion of the waste stream. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills, where they take up precious space and release methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.
It benefits your yard: Compost improves soil structure and texture, increases the soil's ability to hold both water and air, improves soil fertility, and stimulates healthy root development in plants.
It's easy: You can start with just leaves and grass, then work your way towards composting your food scraps. Refer to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's compost guidance for a quick look at why it is important to compost and how to compost in your backyard.
It saves money: Adding compost to your garden can reduce or eliminate the need to buy chemical fertilizers or compost. If you sticker your yard waste and/or trash, composting will cut your costs.
Please see Kane County's Recycling and Stormwater webpages for more info on the Rain Barrel and Compost Bins sale.
