How Disney World Uses Recycled Glass For Horse Trails and Greenhouse Floors
For decades, Disney World has espoused the virtues of recycling and encouraged guests to make eco-friendly decisions. The question, however, is what does Disney do with that recycled material?
At Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, recycled glass is pulverized to a sand-like consistency and used on the resort’s horse trails.
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-37-Recycled-glass-at-Disney-helps-horticulture-and-horse-trails.png)
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-37-Recycled-glass-at-Disney-helps-horticulture-and-horse-trails.png)
Photo: Click Orlando
According to Jarrod Stewart, a member of the Disney Environmental Integration team, the glass collected from EPCOT’s World Showcase and catering events from across the resort gets dumped into a big blue machine and pulverized. The new procedure is part of a pilot program that began in 2022.
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-44-Recycled-glass-at-Disney-helps-horticulture-and-horse-trails.png)
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-44-Recycled-glass-at-Disney-helps-horticulture-and-horse-trails.png)
Photo: Also Click Orlando
“We’re using it predominately on the horse trail out here because those have to be refreshed quite a bit,” Jarrod Stewart said.
How It Works
The machine can pulverize up to 2,000 pounds of glass in an hour, transforming it into a substance with a sand-like texture.
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-40-Recycled-glass-at-Disney-helps-horticulture-and-horse-trails.png)
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-40-Recycled-glass-at-Disney-helps-horticulture-and-horse-trails.png)
Photo: Click Orlando
“Its technical term is ‘glass cullet’ but people identify it more when we call it sand-like material. You can run your hand through it. It’s soft. There’s no sharp edge, you can move around your hand, it’s not going to cut you,” Stewart said.
The material is then used across the resort, and in addition to the Fort Wilderness horse trails it is also used on gravel roads.
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-51-Surprising-Way-Recycled-Glass-Helps-Disney-Plants-Grow.png)
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-51-Surprising-Way-Recycled-Glass-Helps-Disney-Plants-Grow.png)
Photo: ALso Disney Parks Blog
“We’ve been estimating that there’s about 4 million pounds of glass on property,” Stewart said.
Disney Has Begun Using The Pulverized Glass in its Greenhouses
Recently, Disney World expanded its pulverizer program and used pulverized glass as a substitute for coquina material. The pulverized glass is now being spread across greenhouse floors in The Land pavilion.
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-54-Surprising-Way-Recycled-Glass-Helps-Disney-Plants-Grow.png)
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-49-54-Surprising-Way-Recycled-Glass-Helps-Disney-Plants-Grow.png)
Photo: Also Disney Parks Blog
The pulverized glass serves as a pass-through for the plant’s multiple daily waterings. According to Disney, “This ensures a functioning ecosystem for plants to flourish.”
Together, Cast Members across Disney World are discovering new uses for pulverized glass, ensuring a future of sustainability.
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-50-06-wertyuiuyteswaqswertyuiuytrdeswa.png-JPEG-Image-900-×-409-pixels.png)
![Fort Wilderness pulverized glass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-18-at-14-50-06-wertyuiuyteswaqswertyuiuytrdeswa.png-JPEG-Image-900-×-409-pixels.png)
Photo: Also Disney Parks Blog
To learn more about Disney’s sustainability efforts, visit www.DisneyConnect.com and www.DisneyPlanetPossible.com.
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