Using Processed Glass Aggregate at Parsons Marsh Trail

Parsons Marsh Trail in Lenox, Massachusetts is a fully accessible trail managed by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council.  The trail was designed and built by Peter Jensen & Associates in 2018 to meet U.S. Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines.  Processed glass aggregate (crushed recycled glass) was provided by the Northeast Resource Recovery Association and used as a subbase for the trailhead information kiosk, as a subbase for a park bench, and as a subbase for a fully accessible picnic table platform.  Perforated Ekomats, which are durable mats created from plastic shopping bags and other single use plastic film, were used as the surface on top of the processed glass aggregate.   

Processed glass aggregate compacts more tightly and sheds water better than sand, making it an ideal substrate for frost prone areas.  Using a combination of processed glass aggregate and Ekomats created a permeable base and allowed the reuse of recyclable materials that may have otherwise been bound for a landfill.