Asheville Greenworks Home

Keep North Asheville Recycling Center clean!

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

North Asheville’s recycling center, off Merrimon Avenue behind Asheville Pizza and Brewing, is a great community resource. Please don’t use it as a dumping ground for old furniture, household waste and other non-recyclable trash: these need to go to the Buncombe County landfill on Panther Branch Road, or be picked up by appointment. Dumping non-recyclable waste isn’t just a misuse of the facility: it’s also illegal: report dumping by calling the DOT hotline, Swat-A-Litterbug, at 1-877-368-4968.

Important Info from the City: Disposal Bans Now in Effect

Friday, October 16th, 2009

DISPOSAL BANS NOW IN EFFECT

On October 1, a state law banning plastic bottles, oil filters, and wooden pallets from landfill disposal went into effect. It is now ILLEGAL to throw these items into the trash. They must be recycled. The law does not apply to plastic motor oil containers.  They can still be placed in the trash.

Recycle these Items in your City recycling bins!

All plastic bottles and jugs MUST be recycled! There is no need to look at the bottom for the recycling symbol and number. Just remember—the neck must be smaller than the base. Please remove the lid before you recycle.  Please Note:  Plastic items that are not bottle-shaped CANNOT be recycled in City recycling bins.

Please do not place the following plastic items in your recycling bins – tubs, such as yogurt and margarine containers, food trays, deli containers, plant trays, plant pots, plastic furniture, or toys.  Put them in your garbage or find an alternative recycling option like the Preserve Gimme 5 program listed below.  If you put non-recyclable items in your recycling bins they eventually get sorted out at the recycling centers and thrown away – at an added cost to the recycling program.

Preserve Gimme 5 program:  Recycle your clean #5 plastic containers that cannot be placed in City recycling bins by dropping them off at the Greenlife Grocery Store on Merrimon.  Greenlife is participating in the Preserve Gimme 5 program and will recycle all #5 plastic items placed in the basket in front of their store. Or if you prefer, you can mail your #5 plastics directly to the Preserve Gimme 5 program.  For more information on the program and/or directions on how to recycle by mail go to: http://www.preserveproducts.com/gimme5/.

Recycling paper:  Almost all types of paper are recyclable, including office paper, copier/printer paper, junk mail, newspaper, and magazines and can be placed in your recycling bins. DO NOT put food stained paper products (such as pizza boxes) and waxy paper (like milk cartons and juice boxes) in with your recycling. Put these items in the trash.

New Materials to Recycle:

Curbie is now recycling EMPTY Aerosol Cans! Only EMPTY aerosol cans may now be placed in your City recycling bins. If the can is not empty, it is considered a household hazardous waste (HHW) and needs to be taken to the landfill during HHW collection every Friday (except for holidays). For more info on HHW disposal go to Household Hazardous Waste.

Aluminum Pie Plates and Food Trays may also be put in recycling bins!  Please make sure they are washed and clean of food waste!!

How to Recycle the other BANNED MATERIALS!

Do NOT put Oil Filters in your recycling bins.  Recycle oil filters at several local businesses that sell motor oil.  In addition, the Buncombe County Landfill on Panther Branch Road accepts used oil filters in the area just next to the drum used for oil recycling.

Wood Pallets: The Landfill has a wood mulching area where wooden pallets can be recycled.

Free EWaste Recycling Event

Buncombe County Solid Waste and Arden Wal-Mart are sponsoring a FREE Electronic Waste Recycling Event on Saturday October 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Arden Wal-Mart parking lot at 60 Airport Road in Arden.  E-Waste items accepted include TVs, monitors, computers and components, wiring, and more. Items that WILL NOT be accepted are household appliances, microwaves, smoke detectors, furniture, chemicals, or household or car batteries.  If you have any questions about this event, please contact Kristy Smith at 250-5473.

More information about the new state law can be found at:  http://p2pays.org/BannedMaterials/index.asp

If you have specific questions about the types of plastic and paper that are accepted for recycling, call Curbside Management at 252-2532 or visit City of Asheville Recycling information.

CITY SEEKS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RECYCLING CONTEST

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

From ashevillenc.gov:

“The City of Asheville is participating in the Cans for Cash City Recycling Challenge.  The contest, sponsored by The United States Conference of Mayors, Keep America Beautiful, and Novelis Corporation, challenges cities across the country to promote citizen participation in the collection of aluminum beverage cans.

Asheville will compete with other cities of the same size for up to $5,000 in awards.  Awards will be used to support recycling efforts through local education and awareness programs.

Approximately 50 billion aluminum cans end up in landfills each year.  Recycling aluminum beverage cans reduces waste in our landfills and helps create a sustainable environment.  The Challenge starts October 1 and ends October 31, 2009.  Recycle those aluminum cans!

For more information about the Challenge or drop-off center locations, go to www.ashevillenc.gov/sanitation or call 251-1122.”

OrganicFest on Sunday Sept. 13th

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Asheville GreenWorks is partnering with the OrganicFest on Sunday, September 13th from 10AM-6PM to “green” their festival, taking place at Battery Park Ave and Otis Street! We are committed to having an environmentally responsible event and we are working closely with all of our partners to plan and implement a Festival which will reflect green event best practices.

“For the past 50 years, Americans have used convenience items and disposable goods at an ever-increasing rate.

In 1960, Americans generated 88.1 million tons of garbage each year. This equaled about 2.7 pounds per person per day. In 2000, Americans generate 229 million tons of garbage each year. This equals about 4.4 pounds per person per day” link

OrganicFest and Asheville GreenWorks will:
Use appropriate recycling bins in all areas, located centrally and clearly marked
Ensure recycling and litter containers are available close to food vendor booths
Make educational materials readily available to Festival-goers and participants
Teach Festival-goers about recycling and composting
Promote environmental awareness and waste reduction

We hope you’ll join us for this family-friendly organic celebration!

We still need volunteers to help with recycling and staffing our booths to pass out educational materials! Contact ashley@ashevillegreenworks.org if you’re interested in working a two-hour shift!

OrganicFest Web site