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1. What is a rain barrel?

A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores rain water instead of letting it runoff into streets, storm drains and streams. The water in the barrels are used to water lawns and gardens, fill swimming pools or wash cars and bikes. Lawn and garden watering make up 40% of water usage. By using rain barrels, citizens can reduce their water consumption and save money while also protecting the environment. The barrels can come in many different shapes, sizes and colors. The typical size is 55 gallons and is made up of a connection to the downspout, a filter to prevent insects from inhabiting the container, a faucet to allow for use and an overflow pipe to drain excess water.

2. What are the benefits of rain barrels?

• Saves money on your water bill


• Saves drinking water


• Reduces pollutants and stormwater runoff into the Laramie River


• Plants prefer the acidity and fewer minerals in rainwater 

3. Where can I purchase a rain barrel in town?

Rain barrels can cost anywhere from $20-$300. Places to purchase rain barrels here in town include:

Murdoch’s keep rain barrels on stock.
3322 Grand Ave.
(307) 721-1733.

Ace Hardware will special order rain barrels for interested customers.
611 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 755-0781

4. Can I make my own rain barrel?

Yes! Follow the instructions attached to make your own rain barrel.

Ran Barrel Instruction

5. Are rain barrels legal?

The Wyoming State Engineers office is in charge of water rights in the state. At this time the state does not have a permit process and there is no City of Laramie ordinance preventing the use of rain barrels. Citizens are able to catch storm water for personal use without regulation. 

6. Rain Barrel Tips:

It is best to empty rain barrels every one to two weeks. This allows the barrels to refill during each storm and prevents insects from laying eggs in the water.

Other ways to prevent mosquitoes:

• Use a mesh. DO NOT collect it as standing water


• Clean the barrel regularly


• Check for cracks and leaks


• Add a tablespoon of dish soap after each storm


• Add a mosquito dunk

7. How are other communities handling glass recycling?

Sheridan: glass is recycled. Costs are subsidized with additional general fund tax revenue. 

Casper: Distance to glass markets and the weight of glass make it expensive to recycle. While some bottlers purchase recycled glass, these manufacturers are outside of the state of Wyoming. The cost to ship the glass to market is more than the city would receive for payment. Casper discontinued accepting glass for reuse or a daily cover in the animal disposal area of the landfill. The volume of glass was ineffective at preventing scavenger animals from removing animals from the disposal area. 

Cheyenne, Rock Springs, Rawlins – no glass recycling currently offered. 

Fort Collins, CO - accepts glass at a drop-off location plus requires private haulers to offer recycling services. The glass collected at the drop-off location is taken to Rocky Mountain Bottling Co. Rates vary by private vendor, no municipal services are offered. 

Loveland, CO - accepts glass at 6 drop-off locations and then it is taken to Rocky Mountain Bottling Co. Costs are assessed to rate payers. Nationwide glass recycling is an issue because of the cost to transport and process the glass. The manufacturing companies have to spend more time and energy to sort glass that is contaminated with other garbage. In order to offset those costs, the manufacturing companies do not provide a high rebate for glass. Since the rebate for glass is so low, communities cannot offset the travel costs to transport their glass recycling. It is becoming more economically feasible nationwide for communities to dispose of their glass in the landfill.

8. What are the next steps for glass recycling in Laramie?

As of 8/7/2021 the City of Laramie is accepting glass bottles and jars free of charge at the recycling center located at the Laramie Landfill.  Please remove any caps, lids and corks.  There is no need to separate the glass by color.  Please do not try to recycle glass in the single stream recycling.  If you do put glass in the blue lidded container it will be treated as trash. 

Public meetings have been held to provide information, and gather citizen input. To date rate payer cost increases have been a contentious proposition. Any changes need support from citizens and elected officials to incorporate into the fiscal budget.

9. What are the environmental impacts of recycling?

Recycling the 260 tons of glass produced in Laramie each year for 40 years would save 25 days of landfill space.The approximate cost of airspace lost over 40 years is $163,000, but disposal costs would be analyzed and subsidized by resident rate payers annually during budget review. On the other hand, recycling and transporting glass to Colorado would emit 15,598 pounds of CO2/yr. Over 40 years the total CO2 emitted would equal 623,920 lbs.

10. Has the city of Laramie explored any glass recycling options?

Recycling: The City of Laramie has partnered with Momentum Recycling in Denver, CO.  Glass bottles and jars can be taken to the recycling center located at the Laramie landfill.  This glass will be used to make “cullet” which can be used for many purposes, including making new bottle and jars. 

The city has explored a program similar to what was previously provided by the ARK. One option is hauling the glass directly to Rocky Mountain Bottle Co. The second option is hauling it to Fort Collins which would reduce transportation costs, but with a lower rebate. The graphic below shows the total cost per year depending on the tonnage of glass transported. The second value is the cost to residents per month for the service.

11. What is a bottle-to-bottle recycling operation?

Glass is a material that can be recycled endlessly without losing purity. Bottle-to-bottle means that when a glass bottle is recycled it is melted down and turned directly back into another bottle. This reduces the need for raw materials and saves energy in the manufacturing process.

12. Why is the city not recycling glass?

 As of 8/7/2021 the City of Laramie is accepting glass bottles and jars free of charge at the recycling center located at the Laramie Landfill.  Please remove any caps, lids and corks.  There is no need to separate the glass by color.  Please do not try to recycle glass in the single stream recycling.  If you do put glass in the blue lidded container it will be treated as trash.

The operation is too pricey. Glass recycling has to be transported to the Rocky Mountain Bottling plant in Colorado because it is the only facility with a bottle-to-bottle operation. The cost to ARK to haul the glass to the Rocky Mountain Bottling Co. was $85/ton. The rebate was roughly $50/ton. ARK was losing $35/ton which equaled about $15,000/year. Rebate rates vary based on demand and other cyclical industry factors, the lower the rebate, the higher the cost to the municipality or business. The City of Laramie’s solid waste and recycling programs operate in a break even enterprise accounting approach, so any additional costs are passed on to resident rate payers.

13. When was glass recycling in Laramie discontinued?

In the past ARK regional services was the primary glass recycling option for Laramie residents. There were multiple drop off locations in city limits for all types of sorted recycling. In November of 2013 they stopped taking glass due to the financial burden. They no longer operate as a recycling center at all, it did not support their resident / employee development model.

14. Should we be concerned with hazardous waste?

Surprisingly, these common products can pose serious threats to the health of people, animals, and the environment. If not properly disposed of, these products may contaminate the soil, surface water, or underlying ground water. Once contaminated, soil and water are difficult and expensive to clean. Some contaminated water may never be clean enough to be used as drinking water. With a limited community water supply - much of it from ground water - Laramie and Albany County residents must take significant precautions to protect our water supply from household wastes and other potential contaminants.

15. What is household hazardous waste?

Most of us generate household hazardous waste everyday. Items as common as cleaning solvents, paint, batteries, automotive oil, and antifreeze can become hazardous waste. If you read the labels of these and other similar items, you will discover that most have special disposal instructions or are not allowed in a landfill. Because these items are potentially hazardous, they cannot be placed in your garbage can or waste container.