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The partnership emphasizes recycling glass, plastic and cans, plus using compostable dishes and utensils at the zoo.
ATLANTA — On a hot, sunny day at Zoo Atlanta, guests pack into the park snapping photos of their favorite animals. Whether they have tusks, fur or feathers, the animals call the zoo and this planet home. Amy Arnold, facilities operations manager at Zoo Atlanta, said everyone can help play a part in keeping Earth clean. Arnold also co-chairs the Green Team, which pushes recycling efforts throughout the park to help the environment.
“As a conservation organization, sustainability is Zoo Atlanta’s central mission,” Arnold said. “It’s about leading by example. It’s not what we teach, but it’s about what we do. The environment definitely needs our help. It can sometimes feel very overwhelming, and so what I teach people is that small impacts can make a big difference.”
It can take years for plastic to break down in a landfill, so Arnold said dumping plastic, cans and glass in a recycling bin rather than a trash bin can go a long way.
“It’s actually sad to think about microplastics and how you can find microplastics everywhere, in seawater, food,” Arnold said. “Last year, we diverted roughly about 8,000 lbs. of glass from going into a landfill. That’s equivalent to a male rhino.”
The zoo even recycles animal waste into compost. Stacey Burscough, regional vice president of Proof of the Pudding, said the caterer’s partnership with Zoo Atlanta helps protect the planet. Proof donates any unused food to the Goodr Foundation’s local food pantry.
“Not only do we do recycling programs, everything we buy that’s disposable is ecofriendly, compostable, we collect glass, separate recycling and regular garbage,” Burscough said. “Goodr will come and collect the food here. We pay them to come and collect it so no food goes to waste. Normally, that’s when we either produce a little too much or there’s a drop in guest count. We make sure all that food is high in quality that’s going to homeless folks to try and support them and being ecofriendly.”
Burscough said events are often catered using bamboo plates and utensils. The zoo also holds an annual cleanup event in Grant Park and an electronics recycling event over the summer among other sustainability efforts. For Arnold, it’s a reminder that it takes a village, a zoo, and the entire planet to keep Earth safe and clean.
“Education, conservation and just being able to make that connection between animals and our guests is very important,” Arnold said.
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