Broward County, FL Beach Glass Project
Type: Pilot Project (Program)
Announced: 3/31/06
Source File: http://bcegov2.broward.org/newsrelease/viewscreen.asp?MessageID=1095
Description:
County to Study Recycled Glass Options To Help Renourish Area Beaches
In an effort to combat beach erosion and find a more cost-effective outlet for glass collected from recycling programs, Broward County is conducting a study to use finely crushed recycled glass mixed with natural beach sand to help maintain the County’s beaches. The study will use a test plot located in the southern end of Broward County, which is part of the on-going Beach Renourishment Project.
The test plot, located on Hollywood Beach at Pierce Street and the Broadwalk, is a fenced-in area that contains mixtures of natural beach sand and finely crushed glass, which will provide data on how the exposed glass/sand mixture reacts to the elements (such as moisture and temperature).
In place through the end of April, the test plot consists of an area 10 feet by 40 feet, with a depth of 3 feet. It contains 16 sections:
- Four sections contain 100 percent beach sand
- Four sections contain a mixture of 75 percent sand and 25 percent recycled glass
- Four sections contain a mixture of 50 percent sand and 50 percent recycled glass
- Four sections contain a mixture of 25 percent sand and 75 percent recycled glass
Using recycled glass mixed with sand in beach renourishment and erosion control projects can help address both the challenges of beach erosion and glass recycling.
“Glass is made from sand and this material feels virtually the same as natural sand. Our studies have shown that finely crushed recycled glass and natural sand are geologically compatible,” said Phil Bresee, Broward County’s Recycling Program Manager.
The project is a cooperative venture between Broward County, the Broward County Resource Recovery Board and its Technical Advisory Committee, the City of Hollywood, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.