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From 1st May, Zoos Victoria is banning all single-use plastics from Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary in an effort to move towards zero public waste going to landfill.

Single-use plastic bottled water and soft drinks, along with straws and plastic bags, will no longer be used or sold.

Zoos Victoria is leading by example to reduce Victorians’ impact on the environment, advance the sustainable use of resources and help protect marine wildlife.

Plastic pollution is an urgent environmental problem that is having a significant impact on marine wildlife – each year Zoos Victoria’s Marine Response Unit deals with an increasing number of callouts to marine wildlife in distress.

Zoos Victoria is Victoria’s leading zoo-based conservation organisation - this move is part of a broader effort to influence visitors and other organisations to make positive changes towards a greener, more wildlife-friendly future.

Announcing the ban, Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio stated “this is a great outcome for the environment and builds on the work our Zoos already do protect marine wildlife and promote conservation.

“We’re investing in initiatives that maximise recycling and reduce the amount of material that goes to landfill – it’s fantastic to see Zoos Victoria taking strong leadership to help achieve that goal.”

From June this year, the three Zoo properties will have a new three-bin waste system available to the public – organics, comingled and soft-plastics, such as single-use food wrappers – so no public waste goes to landfill.

Soft plastics will be recycled in Victoria through a circular economy arrangement where Zoos Victoria will buy back products made from the plastics it recycles.

The Victorian Government is banning single-use, lightweight plastic shopping bags in Victoria from November.

Minister D’Ambrosio added “plastic pollution is an urgent environmental problem - that’s why we’re banning single-use, lightweight plastic shopping bags by the end of the year."

Image courtesy of Ron Prendergast, Melbourne Zoo.

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