Today, I want to share about a topic that’s really close to my own heart! Sustainability.
I try to spend my time and money on things that are as good for the planet as possible. With a young baby, I often imagine our future world as it will be when he is older, and I want to make sure that I do my part to make environmentally smart decisions. We try to make an effort to use reusable bags at the grocery store, eliminate plastic waste and recycle everything we can, buy local food when possible, and play with sustainable toys at our house, although it is not always easy or convenient!
The Walt Disney Company is also working on improving sustainability at their parks and with their products, and I wanted to take just a minute to share some of their initiatives with you in case you are curious like me!
- Walt Disney World’s 270-acre solar facility produces enough power to completely operate two of its four parks each year, reducing emissions by 52,000 metric tons annually
- Disneyland’s steam trains and riverboat are all powered by recycled cooking oil produced in the park’s dining establishments
- All Disney Cruise Line ships have a dedicated Environmental Officer whose role is to train others and monitor initiatives like recycling, water conservation and quality, cooking oil recycling, and the use of condensation from air conditioners to recycle for water used in the laundry facilities, which saves 30 million gallons of fresh water a year
- Disney movies like Finding Nemo and Wall-E, documentaries produced by Disney Nature, attractions like Living with the Land, and the entire Animal Kingdom theme park show the importance of protecting our beautiful and vulnerable lands, seas, and creatures with the goal of inspiring the next generation
- All Disney locations have eliminated plastic straws and stirrers, and continue to find ways to eliminate plastic waste… That’s 175,000,000 straws a year
- US parks and resorts will only serve 100% environmentally responsible seafood by 2030
- Disney has planted over 9 million trees
- Disney works to have site-specific watershed stewardship strategies on all filming locations
- Many new Disney toys released are sold in completely plastic-free, recyclable packaging with fun designs in case you want to upcycle
I hope you find these facts as interesting, uplifting and impactful as I did!
Are you wondering how you can do your part while you’re in a Disney Park? My best advice is to find what works for you – and what makes your vacation more enjoyable, not more stressful. I find a lot of joy in making small switches to be more environmentally friendly, even when I’m on a trip. If you’re looking for some tips, here are a few!
- Bring your own reusable water bottle! Disney parks have some places you can fill them up, and you can ask for free cups of ice water at restaurants and food locations throughout each park. This also good advice because you can save money by not buying water bottles all day long. More money for snacks! Bonus points for bringing a reusable straw or utensils, too!
- Consider declining a merchandise bag when you don’t really need it. No need to carry the Mickey ears in a bag – just put them right on!
- Remember a raincoat in your backpack to avoid single-use ponchos.
- When given the choice, like in your resort hotel room, choose the reusable option (like a mug) instead of a disposable option (like a paper cup).
Have a beautiful day everyone!