3D Glass What Really Happens To Them When The Curtains Fall? Do you ever wonder what happens to the 3D glass that you get at the theater? And wonder what really happens to them after the movie. James Cameron's Avatar continues its march toward box-office domination: As of this weekend, its sixth since being released, it's become the second-highest grossing film of all time (not adjusted for inflation). They usually get washed or recycled. There are a number of manufacturers battling for control of the 3-D market. Most of these companies make reusable glasses, though the market leader, RealD, primarily makes single-use spectacles. (RealD has also launched a line of reusable designer glasses.) Reusable glasses are generally collected in trays and then cleaned in a dishwasherlike machine (or, in some cases, in an actual dishwasher). IMAX Corporation has its own, proprietary washers that exhibitors are required to use on-site. Dolby Laboratories demands that theaters use a commerci...