Bele Chere recycling push successful

Nearly a month after Bele Chere, the memories from the event may have blurred for some festival-goers: What was the name of that band we liked so much? How many times did we go back to the fried dough stand? How many beers did we drink that night when we woke up feeling so groggy the next morning?

But the hordes of people flocking to Bele Chere every year do tend to leave a lasting impression — on the county landfill. Thanks to city workers’ efforts to encourage recycling this year, the festival’s impact on the planet was much lighter than usual.

Figures released by Asheville’s Sanitation Division today show a drastic improvement: In 2007, 20.34 tons of the waste collected got recycled, while just 3.31 tons went to recycling bins last year.

“This dramatic increase is attributed to several new initiatives,” the release notes. “Including: a recycling ad in the 2007 Bele Chere guide, new labels and strategic placement for recycling containers, and the presence of a city recycling coordinator who met with vendors regarding waste and recycling each day of the festival.”

Apparently, a little effort can go a long way. Now, if Seven-Star gets involved in greening Bele Chere, future Bele Cheres may be even more sustainable.

— Rebecca Bowe, contributing editor

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “Bele Chere recycling push successful

  1. writin' and rithmatic

    “waste” was recycled.
    “tons of waste” were recycled.

    20.34/28.79 = 70.6%

  2. Rebecca Bowe

    Thanks squeegy. And thank you for pointing that out, writin’.

    I just called the Sanitation Division and got some clarification. And yes, my original post was in error, so thanks for the head’s up. In addition to the 20.34 tons of waste that were recycled, 28.79 tons were collected. So a grand total of 49.13 tons of garbage got pitched, with roughly 41 percent of it going into recycling bins. Hope that’s clear.

    — Rebecca Bowe, contributing editor

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.