As RZSS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, we have a dedicated team to help raise awareness of green issues. Composed of staff members from across various departments within the Society, the Green Team meets once a month to discuss ways to improve sustainable practices and reduce pollution and waste on site. The green champions who make up the team helped to pave the way for our ISO14001 accreditation, as well as providing advice, feedback and suggestions from visitors and staff.
Many positive changes have been implemented by the Green Team at the Zoo. For example; energy saving programs have been introduced on the Zoo’s PCs, helping to save electricity and reduce carbon emissions; recycling on site has increased enormously – in 2017 over 65 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill; also in 2017 the Zoo took part in Scotland’s Climate Week initiative for the first time. The Zoo staff canteen has also seen a move from selling plastic juice bottles to the introduction of a juice machine. The RZSS Green Team contribute to a monthly staff sustainability e-newsletter communicating various initiatives across both parks and keeping staff involved and informed.
The RZSS Green Team have also been key to assisting in rolling out the first, Sustainability led, single use plastics campaign at Edinburgh Zoo - #PawsVsPlastic – an initiative aimed at highlighting the issue of single use plastics and what we can all do to make changes.
What YOU can do to help when visiting the zoo:
- Travel to the zoo by public transport
- Recycle your plastic bottles and drink cans in our recycling bins located around the zoo
- Buy Fairtrade and VegWare products in our shop and cafes
What YOU can do at home:
- Switch your TV off standby when you are not using it. If everyone in the UK did this over £50 million could be saved each year!
- When you make a cup of tea or coffee only boil the amount of water you need. If everyone did this just for one day we could save enough energy to light every UK street light the next night!
- Recycle all the items you can, from cardboard and plastic bottles to glass and cans
- Save water by turning off the taps when you are brushing your teeth
- Why not switch to a green renewable energy supplier?
- Choose Fairtrade products whenever you can
- Try out eco shopping – buy locally produced food and items with less packaging around them
- Take the bus or walk or cycle rather than taking your car for short journeys
- If you enjoy eating fish, look out for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) tick on the packaging of the fish. This means that the fish have been caught sustainably and in a way which doesn’t harm other marine life.
- Plant bee-friendly flowers in your garden
- Help reduce your water consumption by placing a brick or hippo water saver in your toilet cistern
- Rainforests are being cut down to grow palm trees to get palm oil for food and cosmetics. Make sure the food and cosmetics you buy containing sustainable palm oil
- Look out for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on wood and paper products
