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Zoo Atlanta’s Green Team
Questions or Comments for the Green Team?
Email us: greenteam@zooatlanta.org

Last year Zoo Atlanta recycled:

  • 29,017 pounds of paper and cardboard
  • 21,137 pounds of scrap metal
  • 16,264 pounds of plastic
  • 5,380 pounds of electronics
  • 1,343 cell phones
  • 358 pounds of aluminum
  • 284 pounds of batteries
  • 180 printer cartridges
  • 97 fluorescent bulbs

What is the Green Team?
The Green Team at Zoo Atlanta is a group of staff members and Volunteers that meets monthly to monitor the Zoo’s environmental efforts and maintain a sustainable workplace.

The Green Team assists all Zoo departments with development and implementation of departmental green goals, supplying resources, ideas and documentation of progress. Each Zoo Atlanta department has a designated Green Team representative.
 
The Green Team will continue to manage, promote and report on Zoo-wide recycling programs and potential for improvement in efficiency and documentation.

Recycling programs for Zoo guests & employees: 

  • Recycle plastic, Zoo maps, glass and aluminum cans in public areas
  • Have developed a cell recyling program for individuals and groups
  • Recycle plastic, glass and aluminum, batteries cans, paper and cardboard in staff work areas
  • We even recycle wood waste and compost animal waste!
 

Awards
The Zoo Atlanta Green Team’s elephant manure and bamboo composting program won first place in the 2008 Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards for Waste Reduction and Recycling. By working with Natural Growth, Inc. for composting elephant manure and Downey Trees for shredding bamboo waste to be burned as fuel by Georgia Power, we’re diverting over 1,800 cubic yards of waste from the landfill every year.
 
Zoo Atlanta’s green team was awarded a Grants to Green Assessment Award from the Community Partnerships Committee of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.  This award will provide services to examine the organization’s programs and operations and recommend sustainability measures specific to energy efficiency in the Action Resource Center (ARC) and water usage Zoo-wide.

Zoo Atlanta Green Team Partners and Resources

  • AZA, American Zoo and Aquarium Association
  • Georgia Dept. Community Affairs - Keep Georgia Beautiful
  • City of Atlanta, Department of Watershed Management
  • Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources - Sustainability Division
  • Clean Air Campaign
  • Keep Atlanta Beautiful Race 2 Recycle - sponsor
Community Outreach
If you would like us to present or display for your event or group email greenteam@zooatlanta.org.

Zoo Atlanta Environmental Commitment
Every organization should consider the prudent use of natural resources, as well as monitoring its own environmental impact. As a conservation organization, Zoo Atlanta recognizes our special obligation to always merge our operations with our mission. Environmental stewardship is the responsibility of all Zoo Atlanta employees.

Zoo Atlanta incorporates environmental considerations into everyday business management. Measurable actions that are encouraged and supported include:

  • Striving to achieve compliance with legal and self-imposed regulatory requirements
  • Reducing our environmental impact by focusing on pollution prevention, waste reduction and resource conservation
  • Continually improving the local and global environment
  • Modeling environmental stewardship behavior
  • Communicating information with our community about our environmental programs and performance

Members of a cross-departmental Green Team will serve as environmental leaders to support the Zoo and act as a resource to increase knowledge and facilitate continual improvement in environmental performance at the Zoo and in the community.

Approved by Raymond King,
President and CEO