Disney Vacation Club Resorts Maintain Green Lodging Certification

The Walt Disney Company and Disney Vacation Club recently announced that the State of Florida has renewed their Green Lodging certification for all Florida resorts. The Green Lodging program was created 10 years ago by The Florida Department of Environmental Protection to encourage resorts to develop environmentally friendly programs. Disney was one of the first organizations to receive this honor.

The Disney Vacation Club timeshare – Disney’s Boardwalk Villas was the first resort to be labeled as a Green Lodging selection. This initiative soon spread to other DVC resorts, until all of Disney’s Florida resorts became “green”.

The Green Lodging distinction is one that is renewed every three years. The Florida EPA will grant this certification to those resorts that work to conserve energy and water, reduce waste, improve air quality, and increase awareness of eco-friendly practices. Disney has excelled in all of these areas. One way that Disney is working to maintain a green environment is by simply recycling. All Disney Vacation Club resorts are outfitted with recycling receptacles and they print all guest information on recycled paper.

Manager of Environmental Integration for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Becky Grieser states, “Our goal is to use resources wisely and reduce our impact on the environment, […] our participation in the Florida Green Lodging program is a valuable demonstration of that commitment, and it’s something we are very proud of.”
All DVC resorts also use energy efficient lighting. Furthermore, air conditioning in the main areas are kept at a comfortable but reasonable temperature to decrease energy usage. Cast members and guests are also encouraged to turn off lights and appliances when they are not in use.

Disney also participates in Clean the World. Through this non-profit organization, Disney actively collects used lotions, soaps, shampoos and conditioners to be recycled and re-dispersed to impoverished communities all over the world. In 2012, Disney collected 128,000 lbs. of recycled products that were reprocessed into 393,000 bars of soap. Clean the World hopes that this effort will decrease the number of deaths caused by hygiene-related sicknesses. Every year millions of people around the world die from such illnesses.

To assist those a little closer to home, Disney also works with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. The Disney Harvest program collects unused food from their resorts to be redistributed to needy families in the area. Every week over 1,000 children are feed through the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Although the Green Lodging certification has only existed for about 10 years, conservation has been a piece of the Disney puzzle since the beginning. When the blueprints for Walt Disney World in Florida were first formed, one-third of the property was set aside and designated a conservation area. Remarkably, this land still remains untouched.

To learn more about Disney’s environmental efforts, visit their Environmental News Page for the latest information.