Sustainability is always something that Disney World has strived for in the parks and resorts.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Most recently, Disney has partnered with Seafood Watch, a conservation group that rates seafood sustainability and is working with its chefs to create dishes using seafood recommended by that group. Disney World also plans on having at least half of its property powered by solar energy by the year 2030. The company is also looking to reduce its landfill waste to ZERO in the next eight years. As a result of the company’s sustainability goals, a new program is currently being tested at one Disney World restaurant.
We were visiting EPCOT recently and stopped into one of our favorite quick-service dining spots, Regal Eagle Smokehouse, which is in the American Adventure Pavilion. There, we learned about a new sustainability program that is currently being tested. First, we noticed that one of the tray return areas was closed…there’s a reason for this.
Tray return is closed
The sustainability study works like this: instead of allowing diners to throw away their own trash and trust that they’ll separate it appropriately, there’s a dedicated station with Cast Members where you can turn your trays directly over to them. Those stations are clearly marked. The Cast Members will then separate the contents of what’s on the tray between food, beverages, recycling, and trash.
Tray return
According to the Cast Members we spoke with, not every drain in Disney World is set up to drain to the correct place, so they are collecting excess beverages and making sure they get disposed of in the right drain. If the study proves a success, we were told the program would be rolled out for other restaurants in Disney World. We were also told, though, that the one at Regal Eagle would likely go away; it is only temporary before the full program officially launches.
If you see this sign, look for the tray drop-off station
So, if you’re visiting a Disney World restaurant and notice that the self-return tray area is marked as closed, be sure to look for a station with Cast Members that should have a sign indicating that’s where you’ll drop off your trays once you’re done with your meal.
Cast Members sorting
Disney has also recently been pushing guests to opt for reusable silverware and has announced a plan to ban the use of single-use straws in its parks. Pre-packaged plastic cups (like the kind plastic cheese comes in) are also being phased out. You’ll even spot special trash cans in the parks for compost waste.
We’ll likely be seeing more studies like this in the upcoming years due to Disney’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
Stay tuned to DFB for more.
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I feel bad for the cast members with those jobs, but if Disney wants to move forward with sustainability actions like this, it will take people to do the separating and the dispoising in the right places. Where I work there is only an employee population, we are all trained on the sustainability waste receptacles, and there are signs everywhere. People still put things in the wrong bins, and I am guessing someone has to sort it out after it’s binned. Maybe one day the tech will get there and be affordable for this purpose, but until then – the poor cast members. I will have to be on the lookout for places like this when we visit, and be sure to compliment those cast members in the app.
Good for them; I noticed that at a few places. Honestly it probably ends up being a lot cleaner in general this way.
Oh great – now food prices will go even higher so Disney can pay the salaries of these extra positions.
I don’t like workers doing things like that for me I would rather do it myself . Just have the bins there with signs on them and have a person standing by to help
I don’t see this as a problem at all. Many places we eat, like Panera and Firehouse Grill, have a similar system, where you separate the trash from the reusable plates, baskets and silverware and place them in the appropriate bins. People just need to get accustomed to doing this. So far as it being unpleasant for the CMs, who do you think is taking care of these tasks at sit down places? Same job, you just don’t see it. I expect that they will fade back the CMs once guests figure it out.