I frequently vacation in Walt Disney World. With so many visits to Disney World, I begin noticing things that I would not have typically noticed otherwise. For instance, upon check in at any of the Walt Disney Resorts I began noticing the HUGE packets of various brochures detailing the park hours, park maps, resort map, resort activities and on and on given to me. Knowing that I have a phone application detailing the park hours and no need for the other information given upon check-in, now I ask that the cast member keep the information packet for the next guest as I really will not be browsing all of the documents. I always feel a bit ungrateful when I ask that they just keep their packet they were presenting me, but, at home, I make attempts to recycle and do not want to be wasteful while on vacation.
With this in mind, I began to do some research while on vacation in Disney to find out exactly what they do to recycle there at Walt Disney World. Here is what I found:
1. Disney requests that all guests use their towels again. I bet you have noticed the cards in your bathroom at your Disney World resort requesting that you agree to reusing your towel by simply rehanging the towel on the towel rack. This simple act reduces the amount of water, detergent, and man hours used to provide clean towels to guests on a daily basis.
2. In your resort room, you will notice that Disney has included a “green” trash can. I noticed on this trip that the cans no longer have the arrow recycle symbol on them, and are now just green. These cans are for items that are recyclable. I frequently add glass bottles, paper, plastics and the like to these cans and attempt to use them as often as I do the regular trash can, when appropriate.
3. Look for Jimminy Cricket! Disney uses him as a symbol on guest doors in their Walt Disney World resorts to gently remind guests as they exit their resort room to turn off their lights and other electrical items to reduce the amount of electricity used.
4. Included all over the parks and resorts are recycle bins for bottles, etc. Look for them and be sure to use them to help in the recycling efforts!
After returning home, I further researched to find that Disney recycles 18,000 tons of materials each year. They have also set up a program entitled Disney Harvest whereby they donate approximately 50,000 POUNDS of prepared yet unserved edible food each MONTH! The company also recycles approximately 5 million plastic guest key cards per year. (I have never seen where they would take those in for recycling. Have you? Perhaps they are simply recycling the keys that are left in the room by the guests?) And finally, they have changed their lights to compact fluorescent bulbs as well as switching to low flow shower heads and toilets.
Should you want to learn more about recycling while in the parks at Walt Disney World, consider a visit to the Waste Management Don’t Waste It! exhibit located in EPCOT’s Innoventions East. Here you will find a game worth of a bit of recycled fun and learning for all ages. I hope you will consider recycling whether on vacation or at home.
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I appreciate the steps that they have taken to recycole. However, as a fellow resident of the Gulf South, I’m disappointed by the rampant use of cypress mulch throughout WDW parks & resorts. At last year’s EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival, I went to the main booth to fuss at them about it. It turned out that the booth was staffed by members of the Horticulture Sciences Department from the University of Florida. They were just as bothered by it as I was & said that it was a bone of contention with WDW at all their meetings. I can only imagine how many cypress trees could be saved if they used composted grass clippings, pine straw (which they use at the Wilderness Lodge), or other environmentally responsible alternatives & made a point to publicize their choices to set a positive example.