We recently got several reader questions about Waste Pro, which has provided trash + recycling pickup to Buncombe County since 2010.

The county just renewed their service contract with the company, which means Waste Pro will be around for five more years. And to roll out the new service contract, they delivered new waste bins to customers for trash + recycling.

A few questions we received were about the bin delivery schedule (which is now complete), but several focused around the new bins’ contrasting colors – the green trash bin has a blue lid, while the blue recycling bin has a green lid.

Today, we’re (dumpster) diving into not only Waste Pro’s color coordination, but also into the role this company has played in Buncombe County since it launched its services a decade ago. Here’s what we found out about our county trash collector.

Who is Waste Pro?

Waste Pro is a privately-owned company founded in 1973 by John Jennings. Today, they provide service to customers in Buncombe County. They have 73 local employees, 50 trucks and serve over 41,500 residential customers. They serve over two million customers in more than 75 locations in the Southeastern U.S. – including in states like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee + North and South Carolina.

How does Waste Pro work with Buncombe County?

Buncombe County contracts out its trash and recycling services. In 2020, the county’s service contract with Waste Pro was set to expire after ten years (the companys a separate contract with Black Mountain, by the way). County leadership requested bids from companies across the U.S. and announced that Waste Pro was the only company that met the county’s needs. In June, they were awarded a five-year contract and began delivering 59,000 new carts beginning last November. All county waste is taken to Buncombe County’s new transfer station.

DYK: You must use a Waste Pro cart for your trash to be collected. Loose bag pick-up ended in Jan.

What about those cart lids?

According to Waste Pro, the green trash cart with blue lid symbolizes “Blue Sky, Green Earth.” In case you’re confused by the blue lid (which normally indicates recycling), the cans are also labeled “Trash only” and “Recycling only.” The county approved the color scheme.

Let’s talk numbers.

The service price for Buncombe County residents is $19.21 per month. That includes two roll-out carts for trash + recycling, weekly trash collection and every-other-week recycling collection. Waste Pro has invested almost $19 million in Buncombe County facilities and equipment.

What are other local options?

If you don’t want to use Waste Pro, the other option is to bring trash + recyclables yourself.

Trash + recyclables must be taken to the landfill or transfer station.
33-gallon bags of solid household waste with recyclables removed cost $2/bag.
Less than 33-gallon bags cost $1/bag.
There is no charge for recycling.

Need to talk (about your) trash?

For general Waste Pro questions, including one-time questions about missed pick-up, bin questions, etc., call (828) 684-7790 or send a message here.

If you’re having recurring issues with Waste Pro, contact Buncombe County’s Solid Waste Department at (828) 250-5460.

What’s the deal with recycling plastic bags?

Plastic bags are typically not recyclable – including the blue + clear bags people usually place recycling in for pickup. While you can still bag your recycling in these, an employee at Waste Pro told us they prefer customers to put recycling straight into the bin.

Waste Pro in the community

Waste Pro participates in and supports local events + organizations such as Leadership Asheville, the annual Smoky Mountain Toy Run + MANNA FoodBank.

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