What we do

The City of Asheville has a strong record and long standing commitment to sustainability. The Sustainability Department was created in 2008 to integrate sustainable design, technology, and practice into municipal operations, infrastructure and services.  The Sustainability Department is responsible for incorporating City Council’s Strategic Goals and City Resolutions pertaining to sustainability within the organization.


 


Doing the Work

Listed below are the plans, assessments and policies that guide the work of the Sustainability Department.

Guiding Documents

Policies

 


Asheville Community Carbon Footprint

The Office of Sustainability recently worked with a student from the Lenoir Rhyne Masters of Sustainability Studies program to measure the carbon footprint from the city at large. The carbon emissions from 2019 for the city of Asheville are summed up in this infographic.

Text only version

 


Community Partners

The Office of Sustainability partners with the following local nonprofits to implement community programs:

 

 


 

Related Services

Dispose of large, seasonal or unusual items

Information about disposing of large or unusual items such as furniture, household hazardous waste, or appliances. As well as instructions for brush, leaves, or Christmas trees.

Recycling guidelines

Information on what can be recycled, how to prepare items for collection, and composting.

Related Projects

Single-Use Plastic Reduction

Asheville City Council has directed the Sustainability Department to take a phased approach to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic.

Municipal Climate Action Plan

The Municipal Climate Action Plan will incorporate all new additions of policies and resolutions while creating a roadmap on how to accomplish adopted goals and identify those most impactful at carbon mitigation and climate resiliency.

Food Waste Reduction Initiative

The Food Waste Reduction Initiative aims to provide useful information and tips to residents seeking ways to reduce their household food waste, pilot opportunities for community compost drop sites, elevate the message of food waste reduction, and model food waste reduction initiatives in city facilities.

Sustainability News

Earth Day is just around the corner!

Earth Day is just around the corner! The Department of Sustainability invites you to join in the fun of making a cleaner, greener Asheville at home, at work, and in our community. There are many ways to make small changes with big impact to the health and quality of our environment.  Below are a few examples [...]

Community and City of Asheville sweep into spring 2023

The City of Asheville has partnered with local organizations to host neighborhood cleanups over the next few weeks to keep litter off our streets and out of our streams. We invite you to lend a hand and enjoy physical and mental health benefits such as feeling a sense of accomplishment, getting exercise, enjoying the fresh air, meeting [...]