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ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS
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    • Education
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      • Treasured Trees >
        • Treasured Trees Calendar
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      • Asheville Bag Monster
      • Composting Information
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LATEST NEWS

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Sustainability Sector

4/1/2021

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This is a story of how one clean energy business and one conservation nonprofit have come together through their less obvious interest in working for a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (JEDI) community at large.

DIVERSITY AT SUGAR HOLLOW AND IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
Sugar Hollow was born and raised in Fairview, NC by two cousins on the same family farm that five generations have been working. They were raised to care for and preserve the land and do their part to help solve the issue of climate change, but on a deeper level, their core passion and belief system centered around trying to help heal the world. The police actions that led to the death of George Floyd and too many others have highlighted for Sugar Hollow the importance of focusing on the issue of institutional racism in our culture and ways we can combat it both internally in our company and externally in how we interact with the community. 
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Like so many industries, the most progressive in the clean energy industry have recently started assessing and putting plans in place to increase diversity and inclusion and address systemic racism. The solar industry is disproportionately male- and white-dominated, as is the environmental movement in general as this article outlines, and we’re sad to say that Sugar Hollow follows this trend as well. But we're hoping to change that and have laid out a path to start making changes right here at home by:
  • Learning as a staff about what it means to support a more diverse workforce (including but not limited to race, class, gender, sexual preference, age & ability),
  • Learning to be anti-racist and anti-oppressive, and to recognize personal privilege, and
  • Bringing conversations of environmental justice to the forefront. 

WHAT IS A JUST TRANSITION?
It’s incredibly important that all people, especially marginalized communities, benefit from the clean energy economy (this is the Just Transition philosophy) and Sugar Hollow wants to find partners in western NC to bring this philosophy to the local clean energy revolution. The Sierra Club describes a Just Transition as ‘moving our economy off of fossil fuels, and towards clean energy while providing just pathways for workers to transition to high-quality work with integrity.’ This set of principles, practices, and processes specifically aims to involve communities that have been left out of other economies and/or harmed by fossil fuels. 
​

SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
At Sugar Hollow, management and staff have formed an Inclusivity team to create a JEDI plan including the hiring of a consultant (with a focus on paying people of color for this work) to help us understand our unconscious biases and make changes thoughtfully and without causing additional harm. We’re also working with an Asheville program, Inclusive Hiring Partners, to be connected with a more diverse workforce and continue our education as a company. 

We’ve long supported Asheville GreenWorks and their community initiatives and were enthusiastic to hear that they too are working to bring JEDI into their organization and programming. For us, this alignment has made us want to be in an even closer partnership with these good folks as we continue to learn (and unlearn) together. 

We are a proud sponsor of GreenWorks’ Urban Forestry initiative, which aims to address the inequities experienced by under-resourced communities and communities of color -- fewer trees are planted and preserved in these communities, which make those living there much more susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change and the urban heat island effect.

We’re donating $100 to Asheville GreenWorks for every referral we receive who goes solar. Feel free to recommend solar to friends and family and help us send money their way. (There’s a referral bonus for the person who refers as well which could be sent to Asheville GreenWorks too!) For more info, visit https://www.sugarhollowsolar.com/introduce-a-friend.

Clary Franko
​Marketing Manager
Sugar Hollow Solar

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Recycling FAQs

2/10/2021

 
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Written by GreenWorks staff with help from Curbside Management

Asheville GreenWorks mission is to inspire, equip, and mobilize individuals and communities to take care of the places we love to live. That includes recycling education! Though our organization is not a recycling facility, we do host our Hard 2 Recycle collection events 4 times per year in Buncombe County and twice in Henderson County. And we strive to educate the general public about recycling in our area.

We receive A LOT of questions about recycling - what can be recycled?, what can't be recycled and why?, where can it be recycled? We want you to know everything that we know, so here are the top items that GreenWorks receives questions about. 
We know that recycling can be hard to keep up with. Reach out to us if you have other questions at [email protected] or 828-254-1776. Thanks for doing your part to recycle right!

BONUS Tips
  1. Repair, repurpose, or regift before you recycle! Check out community Facebook pages like WAX, Buy Nothing Asheville, and the marketplace, or your own social media and other networks to see if your items can benefit someone else in the community.
  2. Utilize the City of Asheville's Waste Wizard to search for solutions to items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin. 
  3. Recycle items throughout the year, especially large items - this helps make life easier for us at Hard 2 Recycle events. 
  4. Precycle - due diligence goes a long way when considering how you can replace needed items. Research companies who offer no or low-waste shipping, purchase items that can be easily reused or recycled when you're done. And consider buying an item second-hand instead of new.
  5. Those blue bags aren't recyclable! - As misleading as it is, those blue "recycling" bags are not recyclable! They go to the landfill just like all other plastic bags that you may put in your bin. Collect loose items in your curbside bin, or use paper bags if you need to transport them.
  6. When in doubt, throw it out - We hate throwing things away, too. But the reality is that recycling is not the solution to waste in our country and there is already a huge burden on recycling facilities. If you've made your way through this entire post, utilized the above resources, and still don't know what to do - that item may need to go to the landfill. DON'T fall victim to "wishful recycling" - a practice of putting everything in your recycling bin in hopes that someone will recycle it. You'll likely end up contaminating entire batches of recycling (which means those batches go to the landfill), and will put a strain on the workers and companies who have to sort through your recycling and pull those items from the line.​
​​

WHERE TO RECYCLE...

* Please note that "landfill" does not refer to throwing these items away but refers to recycling programs at the Buncombe County Landfill

Old electronics - including cords, appliances, and computer accessories
  1. Biltmore Iron and Metal Company: These folks are our partner for Hard 2 Recycle so rest assured knowing that some very good people are taking care of properly disposing your items! (They take a lot of other things too, see their website for more information)
  2. Landfill: fees may apply
  3. Best Buy
  4. Hard 2 Recycle
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Styrofoam
  1. Publix: food grade only: egg cartons, takeout clamshells, meat trays, cups
  2. H2R events: CLEAN food grade (see above) and packaging; No peanuts, no foam, no insulation. If it snaps when you bend it, we can take it at these events. Please note that we can only accept WHITE PACKING STYROFOAM but can accept any color food grade. Help us out by bagging your styrofoam in clear bags so that our partner can easily see what they're getting - this saves GreenWorks money on purchasing large bags and reduces waste from non-clear bags.
  3. Peanuts: Facilities like FedEx, Pack N Post, UPS, and UHaul often accept peanuts for reuse, but call to check first.​ ​

TV/Computer monitors
  1. TVs
    1. Landfill: $10 fee
    2. H2R events: $10 fee
    3. Best Buy: $25 fee
  2. Computer monitors
    1. Landfill: $10 fee
    2. Best Buy: $25 fee
    3. H2R: $10 fee for monitors 17+ inches

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Plastics
  1. When recycling plastics, focus on SHAPE and SIZE, not the # or symbol - What do we mean?.... Read more here!
  2. Rigid plastics are products that do not give easily when squeezed. Many are large, bulky items like lawn chairs, buckets, toddler toys, broken plastic shovels and sleds, etc. These cannot be recycled in your blue bin or elsewhere in our area. Please try donating or repurposing.
  3. Microwave containers - everyone mentions or shows black specifically  Does that mean any other color can go in recycling?
    • ​​Microwaveable plastic (clear, black, or otherwise) is not recyclable in Asheville. It’s #5 polypropylene and is resistant to chemical breakdown, so it requires high heat for melting and reprocessing, and therefore is not accepted by any local recyclers
  4. Single serving containers
    1. No clamshells are recyclable with Curbie
    2. No sachets like single-serving ketchup packets
    3. Nothing with the film or foil attached (because these are monstrous hybrids and require too much to take apart)
  5. Terracycle has brand-specific programs for some single-serving items
  6. The Plastic Film Recycling Program: Remember - No wraps/films/bags are recyclable in the blue bin. Recycle ONLY at participating grocery stores.
  7. PVC pipe - Not recyclable​​​​​

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Juice boxes
Gable top containers are named for the fold at the top of the container that resembles the gable roof of a house (think OJ or half and half containers). Aseptic cartons made from multi-layer packaging that combines layers of paper, plastic, and metal to make food containers, especially for liquids such as orange juice and soups (think juice boxes and broth containers with flat tops).
  1. Curbie accepts both types of “tetrapack” boxes for curbside pickup
  2. Juice boxes and pouches
    1. Yes to kids juice boxes (but not the straws)
    2. No to drink pouches (like Capri Sun)
Shredded Paper
  1. Asheville Waste Paper Company
  2. Landfill
  3. H2R
  4. Can be compostable, but only if not plastic-coated or heavily dyed/bleached​
Batteries
  1. H2R: any kind
  2. Lowe's Home Improvement: rechargeable only
  3. Landfill: any kind
  4. BIMCO: any kind
  5. Batteries Plus Bulbs: any kind

Light Bulbs​
  1. CFL
    1. Lowe's Home Improvement
    2. Landfill on Household Hazardous Waste Days
    3. Batteries Plus Bulbs
  2. Fluorescent (including tubes)
    1. Landfill on Household Hazardous Waste Days
    2. Batteries Plus Bulbs
  3. All others
    1. Batteries Plus Bulbs
    2. Landfill​​

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Old books, especially large ones like encyclopedias or other sets
  1. Donate if they are in good condition
  2. Recycle at H2R 

Paint and paint cans
  1. Paint cans are not recyclable in the blue bin even if empty
  2. Paint should be recycled at the Landfill on Household Hazardous Waste days 
  3. If the can is completely empty and dry, it can be recycled with scrap metal at the landfill, BIMCO, or H2R ​

33rd Annual (Virtual) WNC Big Sweep

9/1/2020

 
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WNC Big Sweep is going virtual! Asheville GreenWorks will be sharing a mix of educational videos and activities, action steps and petitions, and hands-on service opportunities to highlight the 33rd WNC Big Sweep. Connecting with our streams and rivers is vital during these difficult times. Join us on social media from September 14th-20th to learn about our waterways, create positive environmental change, and help clean up our community by participating in a self-guided river or roadside cleanup any day that week.

​Post your cleanup photos using the hashtag #WNCBigSweep2020 for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

How to Do a Cleanup

Has it been a while since you've participated in a roadside, river, or creek cleanup?
​Never fear! Watch the following video for a quick refresher on the basics.

Do you have your own boat and want to get out on the water with your family or friends? We've put together a River Cleanup Guide with safety reminders, river public access points, and things to keep in mind to have a safe and enjoyable river cleanup.
River Cleanup Guide

How to get cleanup supplies

If you have a group of 3 people or less, we suggest picking up supplies from one of our 6 Cleanup Supply Stations. These stations are stocked with gloves, safety vests, and trash bags.

1) AGW Office @ 2 Sulphur Spring Road
2) AGW Office @ 318 Riverside Drive
3) The HOP @ 640 Merrimon Ave #103
4) Sutton / Dezio Law @ 70 Pisgah Hwy (on their back porch)
5) Buncombe County Sports [email protected] 24 Apac Circle (near the GreenWorks nursery entrance)
6) Sun Soo Martial Arts @ 800 Fairview Road
​7) Mast General Store @ 15 Biltmore Avenue (out front)

If you have a group of 4 or more or would like any special cleanup supplies, please contact [email protected] to arrange a pickup from our Riverside Office. 

15 Minute Reader - COVID-19 and Sanitation Workers: What We’re Doing to Help

6/9/2020

 
By Finn Digman, Waste Reduction Education Coordinator for Asheville Greenworks

If you haven’t seen our 5-minute reader, COVID-19 and Sanitation Workers: What You Can Do To Help, use this link to the short post, where you can read a quick summary of actions you can take to protect our community’s sanitation employees. This post will discuss ways local sanitation agencies and Asheville GreenWorks are working together to safeguard our sanitation workers. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone, essential workers bear a greater burden than most. They touch more surfaces, interact with more people, and generally leave their homes more than the rest of us. So, to say thanks for their hard work, we need to do our part in keeping them safe.

According to WasteDive, (a website devoted to sanitation-related topics) no cities besides New York have seen major outbreaks of COVID-19 in their sanitation workforce. To avoid a fate similar to New York City’s, we must take action.

Here’s how:

TRASH: 

Trash is the waste you bag up and put into your green City bin. The City of Asheville has their own sanitation department and collects trash using City trucks. Below is a list of what they’re doing to ensure their employees’ safety during the time of COVID-19.

  • Modifying collection operations and equipment to limit the number of people per truck. Some operations require 3 people per truck. Operations are now limited to 2 people per truck (while wearing masks) with a follower truck, and some protective dividers have been installed in trucks to create an additional barrier between staff to prevent potential spread of COVID-19.
  • Distributing masks and gloves: collection and processing workers are provided with the proper PPE to protect them from a variety of potential contaminants, including COVID-19.

Here’s what you can do to help your local City employees safe:

  • Bag your trash and tie it closed. Loose garbage is less likely to make it where it needs to be: the landfill.
  • Place your bins on the curb or in designated areas. Make sure there is sufficient space between bins; this allows the automated truck to do all the work without workers needing to leave the vehicle and manually readjust your bins.
  • Sanitize your bins’ lids and handles before pick up. If workers do need to exit the vehicle and empty your bins, this creates an extra layer of protection against the virus. Frequent sanitation is a good habit to get into, generally. Disinfecting commonly touched surfaces is one of the CDC’s recommended ways for stopping the spread of any bacteria or virus, including the COVID-19 virus.
  • Never put sharp objects directly in your bins. Needles, razors, knives, and broken glass all pose a risk to worker safety as your trash makes its way to the landfill. If you need to dispose of sharps, bring them to your local transfer station. Here’s a link to Buncombe County’s transfer station website where you can learn more about the services they provide.

Here’s what Asheville GreenWorks is doing to help keep City employees safe:

  • Working with the City of Asheville to disseminate important messages about services they provide.
  • Posting educational material on our website and social media so you can determine how to dispose of your waste, whatever it’s made of!
  • Promoting Mind Your Plastic May, where you can learn waste reduction techniques to minimize the amount of trash you create.

RECYCLING:

The City of Asheville contracts with Curbie to collect our recycling. Curbie is continuing as normal with a heightened awareness. Here’s what they say about how their employees are staying safe during the time of COVID-19.

  • Wearing gloves and masks and sanitizing their hands often to minimize risk.
  • Assuming all surfaces are contaminated with COVID-19. This includes waste, cart handles, truck bodies, and door handles.

Here’s what you can do to help your local Curbie employees stay safe:

  • Be considerate: do not place anything in the bin that you assume could be contaminated with COVID-19.
  • Do not bag your recycling. Curbie employees must open these bags to sort your recycling. Plus, plastic bags contaminate the recycling stream and get caught in machinery.
  • Never recycle medical waste of any kind. Gloves, masks, needles, and the like are never recyclable and medical waste poses a risk to Curbie employees.
  • Recycle right! Follow this link for a complete list of Curbie’s accepted recyclables. 
  • When in doubt, throw it out. Wishful recyclers tend to contaminate the recycling stream with things like aluminum foil and plastic clamshells. Recycling things you wish were recyclable slows down the process and costs Curbie unnecessary expenses.
  • Treat your blue City recycling bins the same as your green City trash bins; keep them in designated pick up areas only on your day, and sanitize them frequently. 

Here’s how Asheville Greenworks is helping Curbie employees:

  • Sharing Recycle Right information on our website and social media. Click this link to visit Asheville GreenWorks’ recycling information hub.
  • Posting blogs and DIY videos to help you learn the power of refusing, reducing, and reusing before you ever think about recycling. Follow along with our Mind Your Plastic May campaign here and learn all about going plastic free.
  • Creating virtual recycling presentations and workshops to help you learn the do’s and don'ts of recycling in our area.

COMPOSTING:

One compost collection service in Asheville, CompostNow, picks up kitchen waste, which is different from yard waste. These are the steps CompostNow is taking to ensure their employees’ health during the spread of COVID-19.

  • Thoroughly cleaning compost bins and lids (this is a standard operating procedure, and one which CompostNow will continue in the future). 
  • Stocking all offices, vehicles, and warehouses with hand sanitizer and gloves. They’re also taking measures like propping open facility doors to minimize contact throughout the day.
  • Requiring employees to clean hands before and after entry into all CompostNow facilities.
  • Providing appropriate PPE. Drivers who service community bins get gloves and face coverings, employees washing your compost bins receive full face-shields, and any team members who interact with other people throughout the day are provided with face masks. Employees are required to wear and frequently sanitize their PPE.
  • Sanitizing all vehicle surfaces after completing each day’s routes and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces throughout the day. 
  • Following guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), federal government, and other global health organizations to ensure their actions align with the latest COVID-19 information.
  • Requiring all team members to document temperature and confirm they are symptom-free before beginning work.
  • Limiting vehicle and facility occupancy to ensure social distancing procedures are followed. CompostNow is limiting interactions by splitting their teams into distinct, non-overlapping shifts. This action greatly decreases the probability of cross-contamination between teams.

Here’s what you can do to help your CompostNow employees safe:

  • Disinfect your compost bins and lids before you set them out for collection. The CDC recommends you sanitize frequently touched surfaces as much as possible, and your compost bin is no exception.
  • Skip your compost collection service if you are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19. You can pause your service with CompostNow for 2 or more weeks and then resume it easily. Just follow this link.
  • Secure all compost inside your bins with the lid completely closed. CompostNow will not collect compost set beside the bins. Collection drivers are careful to touch only the handle of your compost bins; please make this step easy and safe for them. You can request additional bins from CompostNow here.
  • For renters: try to work with your landlord or property manager to minimize the surfaces collection drivers must touch to access your bins.
  • Practice social distancing; stay at least 6 feet away from CompostNow employees as they service your bins. Many of us are experiencing the effects of isolation. Remember: you can wave to workers from your window. Social distancing only means physical distancing. 

Asheville GreenWorks is doing our part by:
  • Publishing videos like our backyard composting workshop; these will help you be self-sufficient and build your household’s resiliency. Click this link to see our website’s current composting information.
  • Continuing to provide you with detailed, up-to-date information on the state of waste management in the Asheville area. 

Help your community the most by practicing the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. 

By reducing the amount of packaging and products you take in, you expose yourself and essential workers to fewer daily interactions. Reusing your products keeps them in your home and away from sanitation workers. The age-old adage, “waste not, want not,” applies now more than ever. Follow Asheville GreenWorks to learn repurposing and upcycling techniques that will turn your trash into treasure. 

Finally, recycle right. This means recycling only “grocery-store” plastic containers, glass, and aluminum; check out Curbie’s website for a complete list of accepted recyclables. Remember: when in doubt, throw it out!

Our city’s sanitation staff are working full-time to keep Asheville clean and safe. Please do your part to protect essential workers by following guidelines, washing your hands frequently, and following the advice of the CDC. 

From all of us at Asheville Greenworks, stay safe out there. We’ll see you online!

This article is written for the residents of the City of Asheville in partnership with the City of Asheville.
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5 Minute Reader COVID-19 and Sanitation Workers: What You Can do to Help

6/3/2020

 
By Finn Digman, Waste Reduction Education Coordinator for Asheville Greenworks

For the evolving situation around COVID-19, trash, recycling, and compost collection remain vital to the ongoing health of our area. Can you imagine what our homes would look like without these services? Do you want to?

Us neither.

So, let’s take a moment to consider the health implications of working in sanitation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thankfully, the City of Asheville’s trash and recycling services are occurring as scheduled. The City is taking measures to ensure their workers’ safety. You can read more about these measures in Asheville Greenworks’ post about brush collection and in our upcoming 15-minute Reader: COVID-19 and Sanitation Workers: What We’re Doing to Help.

Continuing these vital services means employees for the City, CompostNow, and Curbie are more at risk when coming into contact with our waste. In the time of COVID-19, the potential for contact holds some obvious health implications, and we want to help keep workers safe.

Are you with us?

Here’s what you can do to help.

Wash your hands frequently and properly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping your hands clean is especially important to help prevent the virus from spreading. You should always wash your hands after handling waste or touching waste receptacles. For more information on proper handwashing, follow this link.

Wipe down cart lids and handles with disinfectant.  Most carts are collected with a touchless, automated truck. However, at times, waste collectors must touch carts to properly get the waste into trucks. Wiping down your lids and handles reduces the potential risk of exposure for everyone.
 
All trash must be bagged and bags must be tied.  Your green City carts contain trash destined for the landfill. By bagging your trash, you reduce the potential exposure for trash collectors and workers at the landfill. Tightly bagged trash also minimizes loose litter, so it won’t go flying through your neighborhood.
 
Sign up for AVL Collects.  Follow this link to sign up for weekly collection reminders and information about service delays or cancellation notices.
 
Do not bag your recycling. Processors at Curbie are required to manually open recycling in bags in order to sort it. Eliminate this risk factor by filling your blue City carts with loose recyclables. 
 
Recycle right. Minimize contact for recycling processors by ensuring you are disposing of acceptable recyclables. Generally, glass and plastic jugs, tubs, bottles, and jars are welcome. Follow this link for a comprehensive list of everything Curbie accepts. And remember: When in doubt, throw it out. 
 
Never recycle medical waste. Medical masks, gloves, and needles are not recyclable and pose a serious risk to workers who are not trained to handle them. For more information on medical disposal follow this link to Buncombe County’s Harm Reduction page.
 
Wipe down your compost bins before setting them out. CompostNow is working hard to ensure the safety of its employees. Help them by disinfecting surfaces workers must touch. 
 
Put all your compost in the bin and secure the lid. CompostNow cannot accept extra compostables left beside their bins. You can request additional bins here.
 
Skip service if you are experiencing symptoms. By skipping service for at least two weeks after you begin experiencing symptoms, you can reduce the risk of exposure to CompostNow employees.
 
Brush can be composted in your yard. For more information about managing your yard waste, go to this Asheville Greenworks’ post.
 
We are grateful for our dedicated sanitation workers and the services they offer. In this time of social isolation, social responsibility means protecting the essential employees that keep our society functioning. You can do your part by following the instructions above, as well as adhering to the CDC’s recommendations.
 
Be safe out there, and stay tuned for more great content from Asheville Greenworks.

This article is written for the residents of the City of Asheville in partnership with the City of Asheville.​
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#AVLQuaranClean

4/30/2020

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Our cleanup events may have been canceled, but there’s still trash out to collect!

AGW Cleanup Stations have been filled and supplies are ready for pick up if you find yourself wanting to get out of the house & motivated to improve our community. To avoid risk of spreading illness, please do not host group cleanups. We encourage you to follow social distancing and safety guidelines set by the CDC, North Carolina DHHS, and Buncombe County Government. Each station has been filled with supply packs— in one roll you will find: 2 trash bags, 1 safety vest and 1 pair of gloves. Additional glove/vest combos and extra bags are also available at these cleanup stations:

1) AGW Office @ 2 Sulphur Spring Road
2) AGW Office @ 318 Riverside Drive
3) The HOP @ 640 Merrimon Ave #103
4) Sutton / Dezio Law @ 70 Pisgah Hwy (on their back porch)
5) Buncombe County Sports [email protected] 24 Apac Circle (near the GreenWorks nursery entrance)
6) Sun Soo Martial Arts @ 800 Fairview Road
7) Mast General Store @ 15 Biltmore Avenue (out front)


Cleanup Protocol can be found in the associated supporting document and also in the cleanup stations themselves. Please check out gear using the folder provided, and report trash to [email protected]

Make sure to post videos and pictures and tag #AVLQuaranClean so we can all see the incredible job you’re doing. And, as always, please stay safe and healthy. We appreciate all of you!
Not sure where to start? Check out our "Roads by Priority" map for information on which roads could use a clean up!
View the Map
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Greenworks Seeking Applicants for AmeriCorps Project Conserve 2020-21

4/29/2020

 
PictureLaura Anderson - Water Quality Coordinator
Asheville GreenWorks is seeking applicants to fill two AmeriCorps Project Conserve positions to restore and protect Asheville's fragile ecosystems. We have two positions available: Community Forestry Coordinator and Water Quality Coordinator. Service terms would begin Sept 1st 2020 and finish up July 31st 2021. 

The deadline to apply is May 15th 2020 - applications are now closed

What is Project Conserve?
Administered by Conserving Carolina, Project Conserve is a National Service program in which members come from across the nation to dedicate themselves to serving critical environmental and community needs in western North Carolina. Members are selected based on skill, education, experience, passion and commitment to service. The program focuses on collaboration with nonprofit organizations, community groups and local governments to provide service throughout the region.

Project Conserve individually places members in service with one of our host site organizations working to protect the unique natural resources of the southern Blue Ridge Mountain region. During their terms of service, members will promote conservation through education, volunteerism, and direct environmental service. Members participate in 1 to 3 required training and service days per month with the full Project Conserve team. Training may cover a broad range of topics including wilderness first aid, CPR/AED, conflict resolution, forest management, trail construction, invasive plant identification, environmental education, volunteer management, and disaster preparedness.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SERVICE DESCRIPTIONS

Asheville’s Brush Collection is Delayed: You’ve Still Got Options

4/17/2020

 
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By Finn Digman, Waste Reduction Education Coordinator for Asheville Greenworks
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If you’re staying at home full-time, now is the perfect time to clean up the yard. You might be cutting back invasive species, raking leaves, or pruning your fruit trees. No matter what, yard work tends to produce some unwieldy waste.  The City of Asheville collects about 8,000 tons of brush annually within city limits. But in order to ensure the safety of their staff and slow the spread of COVID-19, brush collection is on a delayed schedule for the duration of the pandemic. 

Trash and recycling collection are occurring as scheduled. So, why is brush collection postponed? The City wants to protect the collection staff from potential virus exposure for their health and to ensure the residents of Asheville receive the services they need to keep life moving.

Jes Foster, the Solid Waste Manager for the City of Asheville explains, “Brush collection trucks require 2 or 3 people to be in close quarters in the cab of a truck all day. We are modifying operations and pulling in additional staff and resources in order to perform some level of brush collection while maintaining social distancing recommendations.” 

Modifications starting the week of April 13th include:
  • Claw trucks will continue running & collecting large brush piles. These trucks have been out collecting large brush piles for the duration of the pandemic and won’t stop now.
  • The Sanitation Division will start running rear packer collection for small brush and bagged leaves. Please drive with care around these collection trucks; their operations will be modified from usual procedures to maintain social distancing.
  • Normal brush route collection will not occur on a regular schedule. The City’s Sanitation Division will first collect brush from all locations along the Brush Collection Week A route, then move to the Brush Collection Week B route.  Follow this link to find your route.
  • Remember: The City highly encourages the use of paper bags or reusable containers labeled ‘brush’ for leaves and small brush.  Paper bags or containers make collection faster, cleaner, and more efficient.
  • Trash collection and other essential City services will continue to take priority over brush collection. The pace of brush collection will depend on the availability of staff and resources.
As our world adjusts to protect public health, the City of Asheville knows trash collection must take priority over brush collection. Additionally, the majority of Asheville’s trash collection is done with an automated claw truck.  This is the safest method of collection; there is only one driver per truck, and, ideally, the driver doesn’t leave the vehicle to move cans by hand (Learn more about how you can help protect sanitation workers in our next post, Sanitation and COVID-19: What You Can Do To Help).

While brush collection services are running on a delayed schedule, the City of Asheville respectfully asks residents to ensure that any containers, bags, or piles are not obstructing sidewalks or traffic.  

You may be thinking, “What now?”
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If you’ve got yard waste and don’t want to wait for pick up, look no further! We’ve compiled an easy list of ways to use or dispose of your yard waste this spring.

Leaves
  • If you have a lawnmower, run over leaves on the lawn and leave the scraps in place to create a rich fertilizer. 
  • If mowing isn’t feasible, you can leave full leaves in place. This creates great habitat for native insect species but may smother your grass. 
  • Rake your leaves into a pile and walk away. This will create a natural compost pile over the course of the year. By next spring, you’ll have a humus-rich heap to add to your soil.
  • You can also rake your leaves up and use them directly as mulch for garden beds. Be advised, however, you’re likely to end up with a few surprise seeds rooting in your garden. 
  • If you’d like to know more about composting in your yard, tune in for our upcoming video series, Connecting with Community, where we’ll demonstrate common backyard composting techniques.
  • Remember: You cannot burn loose leaves per city fire ordinance. They can be picked up by the wind and land on roofs or in treetops. 
Woody debris
  • Build something cool! Here are a few ideas: ​​

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Above: Stick Forts! Follow this link to see some easy fort building options. Right: Make a fence or lattice for your garden. www.lovelygreens.com has a page dedicated to garden projects using repurposed sticks and twigs

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  • Pile up your woody debris and cover with leaves for an easy take on Hugelkultur. Once this pile has aged a bit, it will hold moisture, build soil fertility, and maximize surface area. Click this link to learn more about Hugelkultur.
  • Remember: Open burning is not allowed in the City of Asheville without a permit from the Western NC Regional Air Quality Agency. Visit the City’s fire marshal website for more information on open burning within City limits.  
  • It’s a good idea to pursue options other than burning your waste. Burning waste is hazardous, and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. (Refer to the NC Fire Code Section 307.3.2 and 307.4 for regulatory information about small, recreational fires)
Invasive Non-native Species
  • Remember: Invasive Non-native species are trash. Bag them tightly and throw them in your landfill cart.
  • English Ivy, Chinese Privet, Kudzu, Japanese Knotweed, and other invasive species should never be composted, mulched, or used in fences or crafts. 
  • Invasive species spread quickly and are one of the number one causes of global biodiversity loss. Even small segments of these plants can colonize entire yards, riverbanks, and forests. 
  • Follow this link for a comprehensive guide to identifying and managing your yard’s invasive non-native species.
Storing Your Brush
  • Remember: If you are storing your brush for the time being, keep it in paper bags rather than plastic bags. Plastic bags are not compostable and present a contamination risk that paper bags do not.
  • Please ensure that any containers, bags, or piles are not obstructing sidewalks or traffic.​

This article is written for the residents of the City of Asheville in partnership with the City of Asheville.
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The Latest from the Plastic Reduction Taskforce

4/15/2020

 
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Sustainability at the Biltmore Estate

10/7/2019

 
​Special guest blog post by the Biltmore Estate.
When George Vanderbilt began planning his estate in Asheville, North Carolina, his vision was two-fold. First, he wanted to create a place where he could relax and entertain friends and family. Just as important, however, was his desire to preserve the surrounding landscape. From this vision came the nation’s first planned forestry program and the beginning of a family focus on the environment.

Today, Biltmore continues to honor Vanderbilt’s legacy of preserving the land and protecting the environment.

In continuance of this legacy, Biltmore is proud to support Asheville Greenworks and its efforts to protect the beautiful mountains that surround Asheville.
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Biltmore focuses its philanthropic efforts on social, economic, and environmental goals of the overall company, as well as partnerships within the counties of western North Carolina and its surrounding areas to support people in need, food and farming, and the preservation of cultural and natural resources through waste reduction, programs that support pollinators, and forestry.

To encourage growth in threatened Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) populations, our landscaping teams plant milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in several locations across the estate. This provides vital habitat for the beautiful orange and black butterflies, which pass through the Appalachian Mountains on their yearly migration toward Mexico. Essential to the survival of the species, milkweed is the only plant on which females will lay eggs; the young caterpillars feed upon it during the early stages of their life cycle.
Best management practices are employed in Biltmore’s agricultural and forestry operations to prevent silt and runoff into waterways, receiving the River Friendly Farmer Award from the Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation Service for these efforts.
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Asheville Greenworks demonstrates values in alignment with Biltmore’s focus areas. Thank you to Asheville Greenworks and their great work to protect the natural resources of the mountains that surround Asheville for the benefit of both present and future generations.
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​Asheville GreenWorks is a 501(c)3 non-profit environmental organization, governed by a Board of Directors. Established in 1973, GreenWorks mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize individuals and communities to take care of the places we love to live.
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