The “Green Force” is with the Houston Zoo!

We are extremely proud to announce the addition of 100 new recycling containers at the Houston Zoo! Come visit us and pitch your bottles & cans in today!

Our hardworking Grounds Team has spent the last couple of days delivering these fabulous & eye-catching recycling bottles to their new posts around the Zoo. Virtually overnight we have more than tripled our recycling capacity for the public. Our Building and Grounds Manager, Jeff Frenzel exclaims “We are extremely proud and excited to have installed 100 new recycling containers on Zoo grounds. This will offer our guests a greater opportunity to recycle their cans and bottles. It will also help the Zoo achieve our goal of making our planet greener for both mankind and wildlife. On your next visit to the Zoo I encourage everyone to recycle.”

Some of the greatest threats to wildlife and wild places the world over is the over use of natural resources, air and water pollution. How fitting is it that the Zoo is a role model in the community toward making our world a greener place? We are striving everyday to become more eco-friendly and sustainable at the Zoo. It is not an easy process for anyone to become more "green" but the Houston Zoo Green Task Force (http://www.houstonzoo.org/Green/) is confident that we can make the transformation together.

One of the easiest and most impactful ways to be kind to our earth is to recycle! By recycling items such as plastics and aluminum you are helping reduce the amount of waste filling up our landfills and thereby protecting more habitat, you are also conserving natural resources and saving energy!  It’s hard to believe that by recycling your soda can or turning off lights you can help animals on the other side of the world, but it’s true! You can make a difference everyday!

The Houston Zoo recycles plastics #1 & #2, aluminum, bi-metal (like soup or veggie cans), cardboard and paper. In 2009 alone we have recycled an estimated 60 tons or more in these materials! That’s equal in weight to about 300 male orangutans or 20 Asian elephants! We would like to extend many thanks to our loyal & eco-conscious patrons who have “pitched in” their bottles and cans while visiting the Zoo. With the addition of the new recycling containers and your continued support by recycling when visiting the Houston Zoo, we are sure to increase our recycling program in future months and years.