Conservation Efforts

The Green Team

The Phoenix Zoo's Green Team is a group of employees and volunteers who volunteer their time to address growing concerns about the Zoo's role in recycling and other matters. The Green Team researches and makes recommendations on "earth-friendly" products and practices, especially ones we can incorporate into the operation of the Phoenix Zoo.

Alternative Modes of Travel
We actively participate in Maricopa County's Trip Reduction Plan (TRP). Employees that use the bus, carpool, walk, or bike to work are entered into a monthly drawing for prizes. We generally meet or exceed standards mandated for businesses over a certain size, helping cut down on pollution caused by excess travel.
Alternative Fuels
Most of the vehicles we use on our grounds, including our Safari Train, use electricity or propane which helps cut down on pollution.
Recycling

• We recycle materials with the City of Tempe and send out other items to appropriate sources. Plastics without a recycling number, for example, go to E.L.F. Products in Tucson, a plastics fabricator who is able to include a wide range of materials in their final product.
• We encourage our guests to recycle during their visit by providing recycling bins throughout the grounds.
• Many of the computers that we use at the Zoo are old computers that have been recycled. We also participate annually in StRUT's Computer Recycling Day. (see www.azstrut.org for more information)
• The napkins and paper used at the zoo is made from recycled materials.
• We reuse many materials as enrichment items for our animals or project materials for camp programs and workshops. Such items include: newspapers, phone books, cardboard tubes and boxes, Christmas trees and plastic containers.
• Our Zoo maps are reused and recycled.

Green Building
We attempt to salvage as much as we can from new build sites and use sustainable materials. Read here about how we included sustainability in building our Land of the Dragons exhibit.

LEED certification
To demonstrate our commitment to sustainability we will be seeking LEED certification for two of our major Capital Campaign projects. The C.W. Modene & Neely Education and Events Center will seek silver certification and for the Staff & Volunteer Headquarters we are striving for platinum certification.


Additional Green Projects
Continuing to research Green cleaning products
Using low VOC paints
 

Looking to the Future

We recognize that going green is a continual process. The Phoenix Zoo’s Green Team is made up of staff and volunteers that are researching and suggesting new projects to help improve the sustainability of our operations. We’ll continue to update this section as we add new projects to our list.

Partnering with other organizations
The Phoenix Zoo actively participates in the conservation efforts of organizations in the Valley and around the globe.

Find out more about Seafood Watch, a program from Monterey Bay Aquarium to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. The Phoenix Zoo is a proud Seafood Watch Partner Organization.

The Phoenix Zoo is partnering with Eco-Cell to recycle your old cell phone to raise funds for the Zoo and help the environment. According to the EPA 130 million cellular phones will go out of use this year. That creates an estimated 65, 000 tons of electronic garbage. Find out more about the Zoo's participation and how you can help!