ZSL target zero waste to landfill

The problem

With 22 different waste streams, including hundreds of tonnes of herbivore ‘Zoo Poo’, produced at ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo each year, a waste management company with the strongest green credentials and innovative approach to waste was needed to help ZSL achieve their mission to divert at least 95% of their waste from landfill.

The solution

The Reconomy Group teamed up with ZSL on a six-year contract and have set goals to reduce waste to landfill with immediate effect. High visitor numbers, combined with a 364 day a year operation, at both the ZSL sites means enormous amounts of waste are produced every day.Bins and recycling points were installed all around the sites and ZSL, encouraging staff and visitors to use them to recycle more – the Day Planner includes details of where the nearest bin is located. Waste such as glass, dry mixed recycling, food, plastic and cardboard is now collected, compacted and diverted from landfill.

Herbivores, including giraffes, bongos and camels, at ZSL London Zoo alone, produce over 520 tonnes of ‘zoo poo’ every year. The Reconomy Group is tackling this particular waste stream with the installation of state of the art compactors that store the waste before it is taken and turned into a natural fertiliser that is passed on to local farmers.

Testimonial

ZSL London Zoo Estates Manager, Jamie Turner said, “Working with The Reconomy Group and its one stop shop solution is like having a large logistical weight lifted. The tracking of all our waste streams is straightforward with the online ESP system and is easily accessible. The Reconomy Group staff I have dealt with have all be professional, knowledgeable and very helpful.”Mick Shillingford, Estates Manager at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo said “It’s a bit of a cliché, but The Reconomy Group is a one stop shop which makes life so much easier for me. It’s just a matter of ringing the team if I need anything moved or emptied or collected and that works very well indeed.”