When considering the impact of technology and research in Disney Parks, discarded glass bottles are probably not the first thing that comes to mind. You may not seeing all that glass as Disney does.
Disney is now occupied by spraying a part of those glass bottles; Almost 2,000 pounds can be crushed in an hour and reuse for use in other areas, potentially on horsepower, such as a replacement for the floor in a greenhouse, or even where the mulch was once.
The industrial machine, a glass sprayer, is located in an area behind the stage at the Fort Wilderness Resort of Disney in Orlando, Florida, out of view of the guests. It is quite low in technology, without high -tech components in use.
All that crushed glass finally becomes a somewhat bright, clean and sand material. “We have an almost complete greenhouse with powdered glass,” said Debbie Mola Mickler, Disney’s Horticulture Area Manager. “The cast members ask me questions about it because they pass and their natural reaction is: ‘Wow, the floor of their greenhouse is shining'”.
“Wow, your greenhouse’s floor is brilliant.”
Debbie Mola Mickler, Disney’s Horticulture Area Manager
And that is the product produced by the glass sprayer.
This project began when other Disney environmental teams asked what to do with glass, explained Jarod Stewart, Disney Environmental Integration Project Manager.
“Could we spray it? Does using it potentially for road repair, other things?” They were the questions proposed to Stewart.
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Thus began a search for a machine that could drink a bottle of wine with a wax stamp still around the upper part and a label on the front, separate it and then crush the glass safely to disperse a sand material.
“I ran into the type of machine we are running here that separates all those elements that are not made of glass,” he said. “Actually download the labels and all that, all that separately.”
The result is a material similar to the sand that can be combined with coquina or replace mulch, no high -tech sensors are required. “There are no smart teams on this machine, not even in the control panel,” Stewart said.
In the nucleus there is a patented hammer mill. “The glass bottle is gone, but the wax is still intact, even with drops and everything that comes out,” Stewart said. “It is a very interesting percussion action … that is the patented part of the machine.”
As more teams on the property of Disney World listened to the pilot, the interest grew. Debbie Mola Mickler saw him in the news and immediately called Stewart to request a test batch for greenhouses and the horticulture team. The catering team also wanted to be included, offering a transport solution: “They said: ‘You know what, our trucks run through the property all day … we will simply leave the complete containers and collect the gaps while driving,” Stewart said.
The spray output is now used in selected areas that guests can see. “We have used it in a couple of locations on stage,” Stewart explained. “One in Fort Wilderness, where he is actually replacing the mulch around the food truck pad.” In this case, it is a more permanent solution, since the mulch would eventually need to be replaced due to wear.
Behind the scene, the equipment of the Imagineering and Disney facilities are exploring even more uses, including unstructural concrete or paths. I could even end in other Disney locations worldwide and even at sea, courtesy of Disney Cruise Line, either with the sand material produced or with the glass that is sent to be sprayed.
“The sustainability design equipment is determining how it can be used to work towards sustainable design objectives that have recycled material in construction,” Stewart said.
While the sprayer remains in an area behind the stage, the impact of the initiative is increasingly visible.
Hey, can we participate in this? How do we help grow this?
Jarod Stewart, Disney Environmental Integration Project Manager
“You know, sometimes, when you ask people to classify their waste in another category, separately, they are a bit doubts, or you could get a small setback,” Stewart said.
“In this case, because people see it, they are identifying with the story. They want to be part of it. So we are receiving calls every week of ‘Hey, can we participate in this? How do we help grow?'”
