Watch out, single-use plastic

Asheville considers timeline for single-use plastic ban

Plastic bags may not be an option at local grocery stores a few years from now. | Photo by AVLtoday

The movement to ban single-use plastic bags in Asheville has reached a critical mass — and now city officials are considering the best legislative path forward.

At its Tues., Sept. 13 meeting, Asheville’s Goverance Committee voted 3-0 to recommend a phased approach to reducing our city’s plastic use. The final decision rests with City Council and will be discussed publicly at its Tues., Sept. 27 meeting.

Why the ban?

Reducing single-use plastic supports City Council’s goal of a clean and healthy environment, and more specifically, its resolution to reduce waste by 50% by 2035.

Asheville’s not the only one shunning plastic...

If approved, Asheville would be the state’s first municipality to impose a plastic ban (minus the one passed + later repealed in the Outer Banks). But outside of NC, the idea isn’t new. Eight states have already banned single-use plastic bags and there are 400+ laws and ordinances across the country that ban or tax plastic bags.

More on that phased approach:

Phase one, estimated to cost $20,000, would prohibit Asheville residents from using plastic bags for curbside leaf litter collection. If passed, this measure could eliminate 120,000 single-use plastic bags from the landfill annually + could be voted on as soon as December, with the ordinance becoming mandatory as early as Sept. 1, 2023.
Phase two would create a new ordinance targeting disposable foodware products + plastic bag use at point-of-sale. Official policy will hinge on the results of a public engagement campaign and take a minimum of 12 months to develop, plus an additional 12 months between the adoption and enforcement of the ordinance, putting implementation around fall 2024.

Nothing’s in the bag quite yet, though...

The proposed policy will ultimately be shaped by public input. Have something to say? Sign up for public comment at the meeting on Thurs., Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. — or submit feedback through the engagement hub.

Discuss the ins and outs of plastic with a friend using the buttons below.

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Today

Dye Lab: Painting Animal Fiber with Acid Dye | Mon., Sep. 19 | 1-4 p.m. | Local Cloth, 408 Depot St.| $5 | Bring your own wool, mohair, alpaca, or silk and learn about various dyeing techniques.
Swannanoa Valley Museum History Café | Mon., Sept. 19 | 6-7:15 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Anne Chesky Smith, director of the WNC Historical Association, will discuss some of the largest flooding disasters in WNC’s history, including the floods of 1916, 1940, and 2004.

Tuesday

Greenfest Sustainability Fair | Tues., Sept. 20 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | UNC Asheville - Reed Plaza | Free | Kick off a weeklong celebration of sustainability and community with this fun, environmentally-conscious fair.
Sunny Day Real Estate | Tues., Sept. 20 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel*
Latin Cuisine with Martina | Tues., Sept. 20 | 5-7 p.m. | Burton Street Recreation Center, 134 Burton St. | Free | Chef Martina Valdez presents a Latin cooking class in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Raising Black: Joy, Pain, Sunshine & Rain | Tues., Sept. 20 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Rd. | Free | This community performance will feature poetry, skits, monologues + gospel singing of pieces from B.B. King, James Brown, and Michael Jackson.
Guided Trail Walk | Tues., Sept. 20 | 1-3 p.m. | The North Carolina Arboretum | Donation-based | Hit the trails and learn more about arboretum’s botanically diverse forest.

Wednesday

Afghan Wigs | Wed., Sept. 21 | 8 p.m. | The Grey Eagle | Prices vary | This rock band spans in influence from indie rock to R&B to post-punk grunge.
The Altamont Jazz Project | Wed., Sept. 21 | 5-7 p.m. | Finch Gourmet Market & Wine Bar, 10 All Souls Crescent | Free | Jam to jazz music performed by this trio of local high schoolers + musical prodigies.

Thursday

My Morning Jacket | Thurs., Sept. 22 | 6:30 p.m. | Rabbit Rabbit | Prices vary | This American rock band has been around for decades and is best-known for hits like “One Big Holiday” and “Wordless Chorus.”
Shakey Graves | Thurs., Sept. 22 | 6:30 p.m. | Salvage Station | Prices vary*

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

100+ MORE EVENTS

Your usual coffee could never

💅

Super Coffee is designed to impress your taste buds. | Photo provided by Super Coffee

Not-so-fun fact: One Starbucks Frappuccino contains 52 grams of sugar and 370 calories.

Fortunately, there’s a better option — meet Super Coffee, the nation’s No. 2 bottle coffee brand behind Starbucks.

Think of it as the latest + greatest in latte innovation: Super Coffee is just as tasty (and caffeinating) as Starbucks, but with ten grams of protein, zero grams of sugars or artificial sweeteners, and nearly 200 fewer calories.

Bonus: AVLtoday readers can try it for free — just pay shipping. ☕ *

SNAG YOUR SUPER COFFEE SAMPLE

Weather

81º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain

Announced

Talk about an early Christmas miracle. For the first time since 2018, Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam will return to Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville. Mark your calendars for Sat., Dec. 10, and stay tuned for ticket and artist line up info. 🎸

Civic

Asheville City Council has proclaimed September + October as Latinx Heritage Months. Learn more about this special month + mark your calendars for the Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Burton Street on Fri., Oct. 21, 6-9:30 p.m.

Community

Plan ahead, Asheville. The majority of Buncombe County government offices — including libraries and Charles D. Owen Park — will close early on Fri., Sept. 23 for an employee appreciation event. See the full list of closures.

Development

Update on that permanent supportive housing shelter at the former Ramada Inn: the city has officially completed the sale to developer Shangri-La Industries for $9.75 million, meaning construction on 100 affordable units will begin early next year. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Transit

New bike lanes along sections of College St. and Patton Ave. are coming to downtown Asheville this fall. The new routes (slated for Spruce St., Pritchard Park + Biltmore Ave.) will join with existing bike lanes, as well as planned future lanes. Several new loading zones will also be included in the project. 🚲 (Mountain Xpress)

Try This

The Eliada Corn Maze opens for the season on Fri., Sept. 30 and will operate Fridays-Sundays through Sun., Oct. 30. The annual event is the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser of the year. See a preview of this year’s maze. 🌽 (WLOS)

Featured

North Asheville’s Chestnut Street Inn has been recognized by Our State Magazine as a particularly fine example of Colonial Revival-style architecture. In the feature, the inn is also heralded for its historic digs, impressive breakfasts + skilled sommeliers. 🏫

Asked

If you were making an Asheville bucket list, which activities or local rite-of-passages would need to be there? Let us know for potential inclusion in a future article.

Home

Starting a new construction project? Think about adding an extra layer of protection with MB HAYNES’ Firestop program. Here are 10 reasons why this is a step you shouldn’t skip while building.*

Real Estate

This historic 5 BR, 2 BA Foursquare home offers ample natural light + original hardwood flooring and is located a stone’s throw from downtown and Montreat. Priced at $599,000, this beauty boasts a wrap-around porch and log cabin with electricity, water, and radiant heated floors in the fenced-in backyard. 🏡 *

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Self care idea: stroll on this new greenway

Asheville’s French Broad River Park has a new greenway

The newest section of the French Broad River Greenway moments before its ribbon cutting. | Photo by AVLtoday

You can now walk, bike, run, or smoothly skate from Carrier Park to New Belgium Brewery, thanks to the newly completed one-mile French Broad River West Greenway.

The new section extends from the southern end of the French Broad River Park (near the dog park) to the Wilma Dykeman Greenway under the Haywood Road bridge. With this missing link now connected, that makes for a four-mile stretch of continuous greenway alongside the French Broad River.

Happy trails to that.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Laura.

Editor’s pick: Shout out to my lovely Grandma Theresa (a daily reader), who gave our team the great idea of writing a piece about National Cheeseburger Week. If you missed it last week, see it here.

Missed Friday’s newsletter? Catch up on gentle ways to explore our city here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Hackett, Brook Bolen, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Helen Purnell | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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