Zoos, Aquariums, and Eco-Friendly Waste Management Programs

May 22, 2018

May 22, 2018


Today’s Guest Blog is by the Marketing Team of NERC Supporting Member Solus Group. It was originally posted on the Solus Blog on May 14, 2018.


Zoos and aquariums face tremendous opportunities (and expectations) for creating eco-friendly waste management programs. The public expects these institutions to offer comprehensive recycling and compost programs to demonstrate their commitment to the Earth. Thankfully, America's zoos and aquariums are up to the challenge. Let's take a look at some innovative institutions to see what they're doing and how they're doing it.


Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Leaders in Composting


With Jack Hanna on the board of directors, you'd expect the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to have a top-notch collection of animals. However, the Ohio zoo takes its commitment to the Earth a step farther. It has an innovative composting program that sends 864 tons of material to a local commercial composter. That's 1,728,000 pounds of food scraps, animal manure, and bedding!


Zoos have the unique opportunity to be such prolific composters due to the large amount of animal manure produced. For instance, at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the animals produce about two tons per day. By partnering with a nearby facility, the zoo is able to solve a waste management problem while creating nutrient-rich soil and local jobs in the process. 


By collecting food scraps in their kitchens, the zoo adds even more useful organic material to their haul of compost. Zoo maintenance workers can also divert soiled animal bedding from the landfill and send it to the composting facility. Maintenance managers should just remember to provide assistive lifting devices when asking workers to handle awkward, heavy loads.


Philadelphia Zoo: 2017 Green Award Winners


The Philadelphia Zoo has been around for more than 150 years, but it’s still coming up with innovative solutions to worldwide problems. Its current focus is on sustainability, and it’s created an ambitious set of goals to continually drive down energy expenditures and water use.


Two of the zoo's major sustainability goals involve water conservation, and it’s created innovative approaches to achieve them. For instance, to reduce water consumption, it’s installed waterless urinals, and it collects rainwater to flush toilets. These are great examples of changes that save water without negatively impacting the zoo experience.


Over a five-year period from 2009 to 2014, the zoo decreased water use by 64 percent. It’s also removed large swaths of pavement and replaced it with rain gardens and infiltration basins to capture rainwater. This reduces local flooding and gives the zoo extra water to use for landscaping and other applications that use non-potable water. In 2017, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums honored the Philadelphia Zoo's sustainability program with their prestigious Green Award.


Recycling at Zoos and Aquariums


Recycling programs in zoos have never been more robust. Almost all zoos collect plastic, glass, and aluminum, but it's also becoming commonplace for them to accept cell phones and more obscure items. The Topeka Zoo even accepts old holiday lights, which are dismantled and recycled for parts.


This focus on recycling is about more than just keeping junk out of landfills; it also reduces the need for mining and deforestation. More specifically, cell phones require a mineral called coltan that comes from Congo. By harvesting and reusing coltan from old cell phones, there is less need to mine it from the habitat of the lowland gorilla, which helps conserve the species.


As stewards of wild animals, zoos are creating a multitude of programs to help the earth. Whether it's through the alchemy of composting, simple solutions to reduce water use, or reusing parts from old items, zoos are meeting and overcoming their unique waste management challenges.


Solus Group offers a wide variety of quality material handling products with solutions focusing on warehouse storage, shelving, battery handling, industrial safety, dock accessories, drum handling, packaging, industrial and office furniture, and janitorial maintenance. The company provides product solutions that promote facility safety, efficiency, and productivity. The Solus Group is a NERC Advisory Member. The article is reposted by permission.

 

NERC welcomes Guest Blog submissions. To inquire about submitting articles contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager at athena(at)nerc.org. Disclaimer: Guest blogs represent the opinion of the writers and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.



Article References:

  • "About the Zoo." Philadelphia Zoo, 2018. Web. 2 Apr. 2018.
  • "The Green Award." AZA. Association of Zoos and Aquariums, n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2018.
  • "Holiday Lights Recycling." TopekaZoo. Topeka Zoo, n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2018.
  • Lovgren, Stefan. "Can Cell-Phone Recycling Help African Gorillas?" NationalGeographic. National Geographic Society, 20 Jan. 2006. Web. 2 Apr. 2018.
  • "Philadelphia Zoo Sustainability Report Fiscal Year 2014. PhiladelphiaZoo. Philadelphia Zoo, 2015. Web. 2 Apr. 2018.
  • "Poo at the Zoo - Composting." ColumbusZoo. Columbus Zoo, n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2018.
  • "Sustainability at the Zoo." PhiladelphiaZoo. Philadelphia Zoo, 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2018.

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Northeast recycled commodity prices rise in Q2

By Keith Loria | Resource Recycling • October 30, 2026
Recycled commodity values at Northeast MRFs increased for the second consecutive quarter as Q2 2026 figures show gains across most materials outweighed a 61% drop in PET, according to the Northeast Recycling Council. In the latest report, average blended values reached $93.03/ton without residuals, up 11.1% from Q1. Including residuals, the value climbed 15.24% to $76.37/ton, NERC said. The gains extended a recovery from Q4 2025, when average values fell to five-year lows of $68.41/ton without residuals and $52.49/ton with them. Values rebounded 22.37% and 26.26%, respectively, in Q1 2026 , though the latest increases came at a slower pace. That late-2025 trough followed declines in OCC, mixed paper, aluminum cans and several plastics grades. Natural and color HDPE were among the exceptions, posting gains during Q4. The new results therefore show a broader recovery in commodity pricing, though PET has continued moving lower through the first half of 2026. PET averaged $40.48/ton in Q2, with reported prices ranging from $8.47 to $70. The resin also declined in Q1, when most other commodities began recovering. Other plastics posted substantial increases. Color HDPE rose 122% to $293.63/ton, while natural HDPE increased 10% to $1,471.31/ton. Polypropylene climbed 72% to $345.37/ton, and mixed plastics Nos. 3-7 advanced 39% to $186.52/ton. OCC increased 17% to $99.21/ton, while mixed paper fell 5% to $45.57/ton. Aluminum cans gained 5% to $2,171.29/ton, and steel cans rose 4% to $221.29/ton. Glass remained mixed. Clear and green container prices declined, brown glass held steady, and three-mix glass carried a negative average value of $37.71/ton, meaning MRFs paid to move the material. The quarterly survey collected commodity pricing from 19 MRFs across 12 states. Two facilities were excluded from the blended average because they marketed insufficient material during Q2 to provide a representative comparison. That calculation included 13 single-stream and four dual-stream or source-separated facilities. Single-stream values rose 12.3% to $91.28/ton without residuals and 11.37% to $74.74/ton with residuals. Dual-stream and source-separated values increased 8.04% to $98.65/ton without residuals and 28.33% to $81.62/ton with residuals, remaining above single-stream values on both measures. Residuals are incoming materials that cannot be marketed and require disposal. The measure without residuals reflects a ton of marketed recyclables; the measure including residuals accounts for managing unmarketable material in each ton processed. Disposal costs increased during Q2, although facilities may calculate those costs differently, NERC noted. The report covers Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Collection systems and state policies affect which materials reach participating facilities. Beverage container deposit programs, for example, divert some glass bottles, PET bottles and aluminum cans away from MRFs, reducing potential revenue from those materials. Single-stream collection remains the most common approach represented in the survey. NERC cautioned that differences in collection programs, market access and operating conditions limit how the regional averages can be applied locally. “This data is not intended to serve as a price guide for MRF contracts,” the organization said. Read on Resource Recycling.

Northeast Average Commodity Value Continues to Increase Despite PET’s Sharp Drop in Q2 2026

By Megan Fontes • October 29, 2026
NERC’s Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) Commodity Values Survey Report for April – June 2026 reflects the continuing rise of commodity values across the Northeast after several quarters of decline. Dual stream/source-separated MRFs continued to report higher average commodity values than single stream MRFs. The average blended commodity value increased by 11.1% to $93.03 per ton without residuals and by 15.24% to $76.37 per ton with residuals in Q2 2026 compared to Q1 2026. Single stream values increased by 12.3% to $91.28 per ton without residuals and by 11.37% to $74.74 per ton with residuals. Dual stream values increased by 8.04% to $98.65 per ton without residuals and by 28.33% to $81.62 per ton with residuals.

New program prepares the next generation of recycling professionals

By Recycling Product News • October 14, 2026
The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) have launched a new pilot initiative to train the next generation of recycling professionals: the Sustainable Materials Careers Program (SMCP). Take a look inside the Sustainable Materials Careers Program Building on the success of NERC's Emerging Professionals Program, which offers new professionals exposure to sustainable materials management (SMM), mentorship, and career guidance, SMCP will focus on college students — with the potential to engage high school students in the future. The program will give students a deeper understanding of career opportunities in SMM and provide hands-on pathways from the classroom to the workplace. Through Career Exploration events and professional development training, students will gain industry exposure, build foundational knowledge, and chart a clear path toward careers in sustainable materials. Career Exploration events will be part of ReMA's Recycling Jobs Day initiative, a national program connecting students with careers in the recycled materials industry. Event activities will include tours of material recovery, recycling, and/or manufacturing facilities, as well as panels highlighting diverse career pathways in the sector. "Many students want to work in sustainability, but they rarely see the diverse career paths available across the materials lifecycle," said Megan Schulz-Fontes, executive director of NERC. "By combining hands-on facility tours with foundational training, this program opens doors across every corner of the industry — including state and municipal governance, equipment and technology manufacturers, recycling infrastructure, and corporate sustainability teams — ensuring the next generation is equipped to lead." Growth in sustainability has increased the number of professionals needed to run the industry The material economy accounts for over 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA. Recycling and composting in the United States prevent the release of roughly 186 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the air each year — an impact equal to taking over 39 million gasoline-powered cars off the road annually. Compared to the processing and transportation needed for mining, drilling, harvesting, or other methods of extracting natural resources for manufacturing, the use of recycled materials typically produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Global demand for green jobs is growing at 8 percent per year. Yet, LinkedIn's Global Green Skills Report highlights a shortage of qualified talent, with many roles unfilled due to limited training and a lack of mixed skills, as noted by the Institute of Sustainability Studies. SMCP addresses these gaps by increasing awareness of sustainable materials careers and offering free training to participating students. In the 2026-2027 academic year, NERC plans to hold six Career Exploration events and provide enrollment in its Foundations of Sustainable Materials and Recycling course at no cost to students from participating Academic Partners. Current Academic Partners include MIT Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Rowan University Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Institute, University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute, University of Southern Maine, and Yale. Read on Recycling Product News.