Volume 13, Issue 2  •  Spring 2005

Hollywood, Florida will be Test Site for Restoring Beaches with Recycled Glass

"Wait, you want to substitute our beach sand with recycled glass?" is what some Broward County, Florida residents could be asking.  And yes, that is the idea.  Phil Bresee, former MRC President and current Recycling Program Manager for Broward County, is helping to make the test project a reality.  It’s a joint project between the County’s Recycling Division and the County’s Biological Resources Division, with main goals of helping with beach erosion control and creating a more sustainable glass market.  If the pulverized glass works on the beach, it could save money at both ends.

Broward County is working on making sure the glass is technically feasible (grain size, how it performs in surf), biologically compatible (ensuring it doesn’t harm sea turtle nests or the critters that sea birds eat), and that it passes the test with the public.  Officials have conducted focus groups and an extensive phone survey of local residents, and the response was very positive.  According to Bresee, the most-asked question from residents so far has been “Can we make sand castles out of it?”

Research has shown that only three other governments are testing beach glass: Curacao, The Neverlands Antilles, and New Zealand.  If the project is successful the glass/sand mix will be used for beach erosion hot spots.  Broward County currently recycles approximately 16,000 tons of glass a year.

Written with help from Phil Bresee, Broward County Recycling