ISO 14001

It is important that the Zoo strives for environmental sustainability in all its activities. In 2009 the Zoo was awarded ISO 14001:2004 accreditation. This rather complicated-sounding bundle of letters and numbers is a recognised international industry standard and confirms that Edinburgh Zoo is striving to continually improve sustainability in its operations.

As the Zoo is so large, with so many different facets which can have an environmental impact, it is essential that our green credentials are robust. With everything under scrutiny, from preventing pollution to educating the public about the environment, from reducing the carbon footprint to becoming more energy-efficient, Zoo staff and the APE Team are hard at work turning objectives into reality.

To give you an example, this year the Zoo has doubled recycling of paper and cardboard so far, compared to 2009. Far more organic waste is being composted after specialist storage bays were built by the Army in February 2009. The Education department has put a framework into place to help communicate the Zoo’s green messages, and incentives such as the “cycle to work” scheme and recycling points throughout the park have all helped to encourage staff and visitors alike to embrace a greener, more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Now that the Zoo has achieved ISO 14001, it will be audited periodically by an external company – this means that the Zoo must show continuous environmental improvements! With ISO 14001 in hand for the Edinburgh site, we hope to roll out the environmental systems to the Highland Wildlife Park in the near future.