The City of Asheville is eyeing new methods for accomplishing the stated goal of reducing solid waste by 50 percent over the next 20 years. A survey of citizens has been announced to collect community input. One possible system for the future could be to abandon the current flat rate for solid waste removal in favor of payment for the actual amount of waste a household generates and places on the curb.
Press Release from The City of Asheville:
When it comes to sustainability and conservation practices, the City of Asheville has proactive goals.
In 2014, City Council adopted a resolution to reduce solid waste by 50% by the year 2035. The goal is to be measured from the baseline year of 2010 and result in total reductions of 15% by 2020; 25% by 2025; 40% by 2030; and 50% by 2035.
And in February 2015, the Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment (SACEE) sent a letter City Council’s Planning & Economic Development Committee recommending the City approve a pay-as-you-throw waste management system.
What is pay-as-you-throw? Known as PAYT, residents are charged for the collection of municipal solid waste — ordinary household trash — based on the amount they throw away. It creates an economic incentive for citizens to recycle more and to generate less solid waste that goes into the landfill.
Communities utilizing PAYT systems charge residents for municipal solid waste services based on the waste they generate by a bag-based method or a cart-based method.
As the City considers methods to reduce solid waste going to the landfill, we felt it was important to conduct a citizen survey on a number of solid waste reduction strategies. This is an effort to help gauge residents’ interest in PAYT or possibly a composting system, plus find out how well everyone understands how our present recycling and solid waste collection systems work.
We urge everyone to participate in this survey
Also, the City has launched a page about our Zero Waste AVL initiatives and PAYT information.
For more on the City of Asheville’s Office of Sustainability, email ZeroWasteAVL@ashevillenc.gov or call Chief Sustainability Officer Amber Weaver at 828-271-6141.
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