As well as our extensive conservation field programmes and endangered species breeding work, ZSL is also working hard to improve the way we manage our Zoo sites to reduce negative environmental impacts and enhance ecological and social benefits.
At ZSL we are:
- Reducing our energy and fuel consumption by installing new condensing boilers, installing energy efficient LED lighting, using electric vehicles on site and installing renewable energy systems.
- Reducing the amount of water we use through improved management, fixing leaks and collecting rainwater into water butts and moats.
- Reducing the amount of waste which is sent to landfill – less than 3% of our waste currently goes to landfill, and we are working on reducing this even further. We also recycle over 8 different waste streams including paper, plastic, oil and batteries.
- Encouraging local wildlife to our site with woodland areas, ponds, logpiles and bird and bat nestboxes.
- Demonstrating green ideas to visitors with signs around the site on how to protect the environment and conserve local wildlife.
- Promoting Fairtrade, organic, local and seasonal products in our Zoo shops and cafes, including selling only sustainably sourced fish on site.
- Working towards ensuring that only sustainable palm oil is used in all products we purchase including food products, animal feedstuff and cleaning products.
Find out more:
Environmental Animal Exhibits
Many of our animal exhibits are built and run in ingenious ways that make them much less wasteful, minimising their environmental impact and their cost. We are developing new ideas all the time, such as a new rainwater harvesting system.
Find out more about environmental animal exhibits
Managing Eco-Friendly Estates
One of the central ways in which ZSL practices sustainability is through the reduction of our electricity and water use and our waste production, which is all thanks to our estates managers. We have an ISO14001 standard Environmental Management System.
Considerate Retail & Catering
What we offer to our visitors at the Zoos needs to support ZSL's core conservation message. We select our stock for the gift shops very carefully, and source sustaible food locally for our on-site cafes. Some we even grow ourselves!
Find out more about retails and catering
Horticulture and biodiversity
Whipsnade Zoo is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) approved by Natural England, but our horticulture team go even further in trying to improve onsite diversity, collect sutainable timber and compost, as well as growing our own browsing plants for the animals.
Find out more about horticulture
ZSL London & Low Energy Company
ZSL London Zoo will become the first company to be accredited under a pioneering UK low energy scheme.
ZSL's Environmental Policy
Find out more about our Environmental Policy: 
ZSL Environmental Policy (130.67 KB)
ZSL's Supplier Code of Conduct
ZSL’s mission is ‘to achieve and promote the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.’ ZSL is committed to ensuring that its mission and values are reflected in the suppliers with whom it does business, and in the products and services it procures.
