“The onslaught started a few months ago, when my partner and I joined the City of Asheville’s composting program. The chore of taking our slop bucket to the East Asheville Library branch has been a revelation — of maggots.”
Tag: composting
Showing 1-18 of 18 results
Gardening with Xpress: Composting: the hotter, the better
The trick to composting is keeping the temperature high to kill unwanted seeds.
Green in brief: WNC Nature Center opens new exhibit
In partnership with the WNC Farmers Market, the Asheville zoo launches its Educational Farmers Market Garden starting Wednesday, Nov. 16. The new exhibit focuses on sustainable relationships between agriculture and nature.
Letter: How to reduce more waste at Downtown After 5
“We think that with some basic education, the cups can end up in the right place so they get composted.”
Green in brief: State budget brings millions in environmental funding to WNC
Among the largest allocations are $12.2 million to accelerate the purchase and opening of Pisgah View State Park in Buncombe County, $7.2 million for the removal of hazardous dams in WNC and $5 million to upgrade the city of Hendersonville’s wastewater treatment plant.
Women in business: Follow the path that interests you
“Who knew I’d go from scooping up some poop to running a business that is fighting to stop climate change?”
Green in brief: Isaac Dickson solar system goes online
Six years in the making, a 300 kilowatt-hour solar array at Asheville’s Isaac Dickson Elementary School was officially dedicated Sept. 24. The $428,000 project is expected to save the school over $1.3 million in utilities costs over its 30-year operational lifespan.
Letter: Slim down food waste at landfill
“A common misconception people have is that food waste composts in the landfill, but due to its anaerobic environment, food almost mummifies, taking years, sometimes decades, to break down.”
Fallen leaves offer great garden benefits
Local city governments offer leaf collection and processing services, but residents can also put their own fallen leaves to good use.
Asheville can learn from Gatlinburg’s sustainability progress
“Most amazing is Gatlinburg’s pioneering waste processing plant, which attracts observers from around the world and turns the idea of recycling on its head.”
Asheville GreenWorks dishes the dirt on home composting
The monthly events, offered at various local locations, provide useful information on outdoor and indoor composting methods, including composting with earthworms.
Letter: How to keep composting simple
“However, for 30 years, living in Asheville and Fletcher, I’ve relied on the adage ‘Keep it simple,’ or as it’s shortened to ‘KIS,’ for my composting.”
Worms eat Stephanie Harper’s garbage
Stephanie Harper set up her vermicomposting bin for under $40, using supplies that are readily available locally. Her worms — which she says are “kind of like pets” — break down food waste, turning it into a rich fertilizer for the garden.
Kids Issue 2018: Create compost at school
“We would attract more bugs like butterflies and bees to school, and we would waste less. It would help us and the animals.”
2017 year in review
Looking back on 2017, Xpress highlights some of the hundreds of stories we covered in our print editions and online over the year.
Local companies lead the way as Asheville considers composting service
Asheville and Buncombe County have worked for several years on plans to reduce the area’s solid waste stream, but implementing “pay as you throw” and municipal composting programs remain in the realm of good ideas rather than reality or even future plans. But the city says it hasn’t given up on initiatives to divert more waste away from the landfill.
Mellow Mushroom celebrates #40YrsBaked
On Aug. 20, popular pizza chain Mellow Mushroom will celebrate 40 years in business by offering customers extremely cheap eats, including a $2.50 small cheese pizza. Mellow Mushroom’s marketing team is encouraging patrons to celebrate their event, Way back Wednesday, by posting social media under the hashtag #40YrsBaked – a slogan that may or may not refer to the company’s stone-baked pizza.
The Biz
There are many roads to prosperity, but most folks don’t think of dead farm animals and livestock poop as particularly promising raw materials. One local firm, though, is building a booming business helping the state’s agricultural industry turn these and other organic waste byproducts into sweet, loamy compost that slashes costs while helping protect the […]