From the Desk of Dan Ashe

Plastic pollution poses great threats to wildlife, on both land and sea. Plastic does not biodegrade under natural conditions, and persists on our planet for hundreds of years — breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces without being assimilated back into the environment. According to the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP), the U.S. is 20th on the list of top plastic polluting countries and generates more plastic trash per person—270 pounds per year—than most anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, recycling is not the sole answer to this problem: as only 9% of plastics ends up recycled, National Geographic reported.  However, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums took action to combat this problem.

Individuals and teams at AZA members participated in this month’s “Plastic Free EcoChallenge”, an initiative to spread awareness about the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. The movement has inspired over 15,000 participants in 57 countries. To get involved, participants registered online at the Plastic Free Ecochallenge website, earning points as individuals or as teams by taking actions to replace and reuse plastics.  The EcoChallenge website, managed by EcoChallenge.org,  provided examples of actions to take to eliminate plastic such as replacing a plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush or purchasing clothing made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.  Here are some of the ways our zoos and aquariums helped to better our environment and reduce single-use plastic dependency.

For the second year in a row, Calgary Zoo and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium have organized a coalition of North American zoos and aquariums to sponsor Plastic Free EcoChallenge. Inspired by the Australian initiative, Plastic Free July, the EcoChallenge takes that education and awareness program up a notch by using an interactive web based platform.  At the Columbus Zoo, creating a staff and volunteer team provided a communication outlet to share successes and challenges, while getting to know one another on a new level. A zero waste kickoff lunch featured DIY stations for staff to make their own toothpaste, reusable produce bags and cleaning wipes using old t-shirts. For the month of July special discounts were offered at the zoo gift shop on featured items to make the plastic free journey easier!

The Maryland Zoo emphasized how plastic affects animals like "Fish and dolphins, pelicans, penguins, all the animals that live in the ocean, [that] will mistake them for food and will eat them, and (it will) end up in their stomachs. It fills their stomach instead of the aquatic animals they're supposed to be eating, so the animals can very easily starve,"," said veterinarian Ellen Bronson. "This campaign was effective in showing how harmful plastic can be. The Maryland Zoo is this year’s (and last year’s) Plastic Free EcoChallenge winner!! Congratulations to The Maryland Zoo!

The Oklahoma City Zoo, a title sponsor, finished among the top ten finalists in the Plastic Free Ecochallenge, ranking in 7^th place among all teams and participants. As Rebecca Snyder, OKC Zoo curator of conservation and science, shared: “Small actions add up to big impact- one person choosing to refuse a straw or a plastic grocery bag might not make a difference, but a collective organized group of people changing their behavior will tremendously benefit the world. Raising awareness of the environmental harm associated with single-use plastics and empowering individuals to take action is the goal of the ‘Plastic Free EcoChallenge’ and one that the Zoo supports unequivocally.” 

This EcoChallenge encouraged the Jacksonville Zoo to not only participate in the challenge, but also make long-term, if not permanent, removal of plastic items. On July 1st, the Zoo announced it would remove all plastic bags from its gift shops, replacing them with reusable gift bags. The zoo, which eliminated single-use plastic straws from its restaurants years ago, announced it but would be eliminating the use of plastic salad containers and lids on medium-sized cups as well. During this campaign, the zoo permitted guests to bring their own reusable cups to receive $1 refills on drinks. The Jacksonville Zoo finished in 8^th place and was a title sponsor for the event.

The Florida Aquarium joined the campaign and was a title sponsor for the event. The aquarium shared that they would make “strives to be a leader in sustainability by making smart choices in our operations and by inspiring our guests to do the same at home.”  The Florida Aquarium finished in 12^th place.

The Cosley Zoo, a challenge sponsor, joined the movement by saying “no” to single-use plastics by using reusable cups, lunch containers and recycled hundreds of pieces of plastic. The zoo not only encouraged its employees but also its guests to reduce plastic and be conscious consumers. The zoo finished in 82^nd place.

There are many other ways AZA members are joining the plastic-free initiative. The traveling exhibit “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” visited the Tulsa Zoo, Utah’s Hogle Zoo, and Toronto Zoo . This exhibit consists of 11 pieces of art were made from plastic garbage that washed ashore, a good way to inform people about the abundance of plastic and encourage people to make changes and reduce plastic use.

  

The Dallas Zoo has partnered with Kimberly-Clark Professional to keep nitrile gloves out of landfills. For staff at the Dallas Zoo, the gloves help ensure quality and safety when they care and the animals at the zoo. Through Kimberly-Clark’s RightCycle Program, the zoo also has expanded the overall impact of its sustainability efforts by providing a safe, renewable way to dispose of these gloves. The gloves are transformed into flowerpots, shelving, lawn and garden furniture and other goods by U.S. manufacturers.  For the Dallas Zoo, it estimates that this partnership has been able to divert more than 1,000 pounds of gloves since starting the program in 2018 – roughly the weight of one of its female giraffes. Keeping plastic waste out of the environment is an integral part of the zoo’s commitment to creating a better world for animals.

Many AZA-accredited aquariums participate in the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP), a coalition of 22 U.S. aquariums taking action together to advance ocean and freshwater conservation, with the primary goal of reducing the sources of ocean and freshwater plastic pollution by using a mix of consumer, business, and policy strategies, starting with their own commitments. In 2017, facilities in the ACP eliminated single-use plastic straws and bags in their aquariums, and are working toward significantly reducing or eliminating single-use plastic beverage bottles by 2020.

Many other members sponsored and participated in the Plastic Free Ecochallenge such as Zoo New England (title sponsor, 2^nd place), Audubon Nature Institute (title sponsor, 3^rd place),  New England Aquarium (title sponsor, 17^th place), Virginia Zoo (title sponsor, 19^th place), Alaska SeaLife Center (title sponsor, 23^rd place), Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo (title sponsor, 42^nd place), Sedgwick County Zoo (challenge sponsor, 47^th place),  and more. AZA supports this initiative and is proud to know so many of our members not only encouraged employees to participate, but they also encouraged their guests to, as well. We hope the plastic-free initiative continues long into the future as we work together to help protect the planet.