No Excuse for Single Use

Creating wildlife habitat on zoo grounds, such as toad abodes and bat boxes, is one way in which zoo and aquarium professionals can help wildlife.  Another is to reduce waste.  This means not only in the animal side of the organization, but on the visitor side.  Especially where consumables are most often used - the gift shop and the concession stand.

An enormous percentage of the trash in our landfills is of the single-use plastic product nature.  These include plastic bags, drinking straws, and cups and cutlery.  Even more distressingly, many of these items don't make it to the landfill, because they are discarded on the ground or make their way into waterways.  These are all items that zoos and aquariums utilize - and all can be replaced.

Many zoos do not sell drinking straws.  Not only are they wasteful, but they can easily find their way into enclosures where they may be consumed by animals.  Plastic bags can be replaced with reusable ones, for sale in the gift shop.  Some cities, such as Washington DC, are already charging customers a tax on plastic bags to discourage their use - an extra five cents or so per bag at the grocery store.  Cups and cutlery could be replaced with metal or reusable hard plastic, which can be washed and served again.

Zoos should practice what they preach about conservation.  Then, they should preach again, louder and more clearly.  We should make going to the snack bar just as educational of a lesson in conservation as any of the animal exhibits around the park.