I love the idea of being able to save the rain that normally washed into the street and the gutters!   This is a very nice-looking rain barrel - the darkened hoops contrast nicely with the lighter staves and even though it is plastic, it has a lot more character than I would have expected!  The screen helps filter debris from the water.  The one thing I wish I had purchased was the rain barrel stand that elevates the barrel a bit and allows easier access to the faucet (it wasn't available at the time of my purchase though).