Why You Won’t See Any Recycling Bins at Dollywood
When you visit Dollywood, you might notice something missing around the park: recycling bins. But don’t worry, this isn’t because Dollywood isn’t green. It’s quite the opposite, actually. Sevier County is home to one of the best composting and recycling programs in the world! Find out why you won’t see recycling bins at Dollywood and more about Sevier County’s composting program:
Why There Aren’t Any Recycling Bins
The reason Dollywood doesn’t have bins is because they don’t need them to recycle! Thanks to the Sevier Solid Waste Composting Facility, the park doesn’t have to separate the waste. Sevier Solid Waste mixes the incoming waste with bio-solids and puts it into digesters for 3 days, during which anything organic becomes compost. The compost is then moved to large sifters where inorganic and recyclable items are removed and recycled! This is the reason Dollywood does not have recycling bins. The only items people in Sevier County are required to separate are construction and demolition materials, electronics and tires. Dollywood is also asked to separate cardboard for recycling because the county is able to resell the cardboard to help offset operating costs.
About the Sevier Solid Waste Composting Facility
The Sevier Solid Waste Composting Facility opened in 1991 and was one of the first in the world to use large rotating drums to break down trash into compost. It currently sends about 70 percent of incoming waste to composting and recycling, which minimizes the amount that ends up in landfills. Sevier Solid Waste accepts waste from Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Sevier County and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As we mentioned earlier, when the waste is brought to the Sevier Solid Waste Composting Facility, it is mixed with bio-solids and put into digesters for 3 days. After the compost is sifted through, it is placed in windrows. Windrows are narrow, long piles of material that are turned regularly to improve aeration and help break down the compost. After a few weeks, it is sifted again. The final result is Grade A compost. More than 70,000 tons of compost is produced each year!
Watch the video below to learn more about how the Sevier Solid Waste Composting Facility recycles its waste:
Dollywood Tickets
Next time you visit Dollywood, you’ll know the reason behind why there aren’t any recycling bins throughout the park! While you’re there, be sure to take advantage of all that the park has to offer, such as thrilling rides, delicious food, entertaining performances and so much more. You can easily get tickets for just one day at the park, or if you want to spend a little more time there, you can get the 2-day park ticket! And when you buy your Dollywood tickets through Visit My Smokies, you’ll even get free cancellation up to a certain date! Click here to purchase your tickets to Dollywood.
Find out how to make the most of just one day at Dollywood, and start planning your trip today!
