I have been in Asheville for nine years, long enough to witness accessible neighborhood recycling stations disappear.
The recycling station behind Westgate Shopping Center: gone. The recycling station behind Asheville Pizza and Brewing on Merrimon Avenue: vanished. And the recycling station in the River Arts District: missing.
I do try to think of Asheville as a green and environmentally conscious town, but, in this case, we are not backing up our persona with easy access to bulk recycling.
If you think curbside recycling meets all of our recycling needs, just go to the Woodfin recycling station on Sunday evening to see an overflow of cardboard, bottle, cans, etc., strewn around the overfilled and glutted four recycling containers.
I have lived in towns — not at all touted for their “green” ethos, even some would say with less-than-progressive values — that have figured out how to have accessible recycling wisely distributed in targeted neighborhood or city sections.
I am sure this has its complexities and fiscal obstacles, but it does still seem like a foundational necessity in any environmentally conscious and responsible town. In its present state, however, and unfortunately, we seem to be “talking the right talk,” while not “walking the walk.”
— M. Chambliss
Asheville
Fair poster, you seem to misunderstand that Asheville is a “green” town only in terms of fueling the tourist dollar machine which benefits out of town owners of hotels, breweries, music clubs etc.
Green like ka ching- not green like clean water, air, soil or any of that degenerate progressive stuff. How dare you want a better, cleaner world for your children?
All the recycling facilities that you listed that are now closed most likely closed up shop because the unwashed masses could recycle for free, and if you can’t make a profit, then why bother? After all, the free market capitalist economy is mentioned right there in the Bible!