Buncombe County Solid Waste

Recycling

"It’s not my job" is not a phrase that can be used when it comes to proper management of garbage. It is everyone’s job to reduce, reuse, and recycle. We produce over 5 pounds per person per day in Buncombe County. We cannot escape the fact that this must be handled some way; either by reusing, reducing what we use, recycling, or landfilling.

If we continue to grow in Buncombe County and fail to divert more each year--someone will have to come up with a way to dispose of it when the new landfill is full. Regardless of disposal method, items that can be used will end up buried and wasted.

It is amazing how much you can divert from being buried in Buncombe County if you make it your job to keep it from being buried. Buncombe County was the first county in North Carolina to enact a cardboard ban. The ban was adopted in 1989.

In 1995, Buncombe County mandated that the franchised residential haulers in Buncombe County provide recycling by the "Blue Bag" system. This enables all residential customers of franchised haulers, in the unincorporated areas of the County, to have curbside pickup of co-mingled recyclables as well as magazines, newsprint, and corrugated cardboard.

The Towns of Montreat, Black Mountain and Woodfin also offer the "Blue Bag" service as part of their garbage service. Asheville started the bin collection curbside sort system in January 1997. Biltmore Forest and Weaverville provide drop off sites for recyclables. With the drop off sites at the transfer station and landfill, all residents have recycling available to them.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Electronics

Household hazardous waste(HHW) and electronics are accepted every Friday, except Holidays, between 9:00a.m. and 3:00p.m. at a special drop-off area at the Landill.

Each week, we accept electronics from residents at no charge. Businesses will also be able to drop off electronics, but they will be charged a fee of 30 cents per pound.

HHW is accepted for $2 per gallon for paint-related material, such as paint thinner, kerosene, gasoline and paint. Other materials, such as lawn and garden chemicals, are accepted from Buncombe County residents, at no charge.