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ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS
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    • Rivers & Roads >
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      • Trash Trout
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Save Our Trash Trout this #GivingTuesday
Through a generous grant from the Pigeon River Fund administrated through the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Asheville GreenWorks has initiated a pilot program to keep litter from entering the French Broad River. 

Installed summer 2015, the Trash Boom pilot worked to gather information about the amount of trash that enters our most urban streams through roadside and storm-water runoff. ​ We then evolved the project to a larger and more passive device that can  

Our first device was a repurposed pontoon boat outfitted to sit patiently in a waterway and passively capture man-made litter. Version 2.0 of the Trash Trout was the work of Elastec, the world leader in oil spill containment and cleanup. Jeff Cantrell set his team to design a litter capturing device that could withstand the rigors of a high flowing tributary, yet easily capture stormwater generated litter. Aptly named the Brute Bin, this version is in it for the long haul. Professionally built, affordable and designed to catch trash for decades to come. 
Where is the trash coming from?

Since 1973 Asheville GreenWorks has held thousands of roadside and river cleanups and has determined that roadside littering accounts for
​approximately 75% of the trash in the French Broad River basin. Roadside trash is funneled through our storm drain systems directly into our creeks and streams; and in some cases, this storm-water is piped directly into the river. No filters or other mechanisms are currently in place to keep the trash from entering our waterways. ​

​Once the trash has entered the water it begins an accelerated process of photodegradation. Whereby the petroleum based products (plastics / polystyrenes) begin to break into smaller and smaller pieces. These tiny pieces of trash are in some instances consumed by wildlife as they're mistaken for food. The majority of this debris goes on a journey that will take it through several states and rivers before finally ending up in the Gulf of Mexico. 

GreenWorks volunteers spend a great deal of time and energy removing this pollution from the river. The majority of the trash is single use plastic products and in most cases recyclable. These devices keep floating trash from entering the French Broad River. 

Locations

Mud Creek, Hendersonville NC
Hominy Creek, Asheville NC
Picture
Installed June 2017
POUNDS OF TRASH COLLECTED

Funding provided by: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina - Pigeon River Fund, George and Jennifer Hodges - Pisgah Plants Nursery, Biltmore Iron & Metal Company, Alan Sheppard - Alan's Jewelry and Pawn Will Rice - Henco North and the City of Hendersonville NC. 
Picture
Installed July 2018
POUNDS OF TRASH COLLECTED

Funding provided by: Elastec, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina - Pigeon River Fund and friends of the Trash Trout. 
Town Branch, Asheville NC
Sweeten Creek, Asheville NC
Picture
Picture
Installed Feb 2018
POUNDS OF TRASH COLLECTED
Device built by: Eagle Scout Ian Sprouse of BSA Troop #91 and Asheville GreenWorks
Funding provided by: Siteworks Studios, Asheville Fence Company, Wedge Brewing Co. 

How can I get involved?

Please help us monitor these devices for trash build up or damage. We're seeking volunteers to clean out and log the data from each collection point. If you're interested in helping out, please call 828-232-7144 or click HERE to email.  ​

Sponsor a creek

Consider sponsoring a trash boom for one of our area creeks. Now taking sponsorships for the following tributaries: Sweeten Creek, Flat Creek, Haw Creek and Gashes Creek.

Contact Eric Bradford for more information. Ph 828-232-7144


​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.
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Rivers & Roads >
      • Adopt-a-Street
      • Clean Streams Day
      • Trash Trout
      • WNC Big Sweep
    • Education
    • Urban Forestry >
      • Adopt-a-Spot
      • Bee City USA Asheville >
        • Native Pollinator Plants and Nurseries
        • Pollination Celebration
      • Food Tree Project
      • Tree Nursery
      • Treasured Trees
      • Cool Green Asheville >
        • Climate Change and Asheville's Urban Forest
    • Waste Reduction >
      • Asheville Bag Monster
      • Composting Information
      • Flip Your Lid
      • Hard 2 Recycle
      • Mind Your Plastic May
      • Plastics Reduction Task Force
      • Recycling Information
      • Smash Don't Trash
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer >
      • Alternative Break Trips
      • Corporate Volunteering
      • Experiential Internships
      • School Groups
    • Make a Donation
    • Membership
    • Wish List
    • Sponsorship
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
    • Staff & Board
    • Job Openings
    • History
  • Root Ball
  • Latest News
  • Speaking of Gardening 2019
  • StopLittering.com