Waste Management
GOAL: 90% of materials diverted from the landfill
Goal Update
Baseline (2017-2018 Average): 4%
Q3 2024: 72%
Goal: 90%
Q3 2024 Waste Streams
Landfill: 28%
Compost: 67%
Recycling: 5%
Cumulative savings: 9.0 million pounds of waste diverted from the landfill.
Dallas Zoo’s efforts to divert their waste stream from landfills dates back to 2016. Since their efforts began, the zoo has successfully diverted 9.0 million pounds of waste from landfills to either compost or recycling centers. That is the same weight as 692 African Elephants!
How you can help!
Ensure you are sorting your recyclables correctly, and spread the word about Zoo Poo! If you are interested in composting at the Dallas Zoo, consider joining the Composting Focus Team, by emailing Ann Knutson.
Current Efforts
Zoo Poo
The Zoo Poo program started in late 2019 when we formed a partnership with Silver Creek Materials (SCM), a recycling and composting facility located in Fort Worth.
That partnership has enabled us to send the Zoo’s herbivore manure over to SCM’s composting facility, rather than hauling it to one of the traditional City of Dallas landfill site. The Zoo’s herbivore animals produce more than two million pounds of organic waste annually, and in the past two years we have sent more than 7.4 million pounds over to SCM.
This has improved the Dallas Zoo’s waste diversion rate dramatically, from 4% of waste streams being diverted away from landfills in 2019, to 72% of waste streams in 2024 being diverted away from landfills.
Holiday Light Recycling
Last year, the Dallas Zoo helped the community recycle over 2,000 pounds of Christmas lights that no longer worked. The program is being rolled out again this year – check out the drop off box!
Upcoming Efforts
Purchasing Focus Team
The Sustainability Steering Committee has called upon a Purchasing Focus Team to prioritize previously identified action items to reduce waste from purchasing, and work together to implement these action items.
