Each person has an impact on the Earth. We all use energy, we all create waste and we all use water. The Earth's resources will not last forever and so it is our responsibility to minimise our individual effect on the Earth so future generations can enjoy it too.
Many of the resources we use are irreplaceable and much of the waste we produce will take thousands of years to decompose. What we take from the Earth and what we leave behind combine to make what is known as our 'ecological footprint'.
Just like an individual, an institution also has an ecological footprint so at Twycross Zoo we are aiming to reduce our footprint as much as possible by becoming as sustainable as possible.
Many of the things we are doing are the same as the things you can do at home:
- We are reducing our contribution to waste landfill by recycling as much as possible and trying to reduce our waste. For example, most of our paper is shredded and reused as animal bedding.
- We are reducing the electricity we use by having energy efficient products such as energy saving light bulbs. We are also trying to find a renewable source of energy for the zoo.
- We are reducing our effect on the water system by creating our own environmentally friendly water filtration system.
- Our long term aim is to make the zoo fully sustainable. Keep checking this page for the most recent developments on site.
What do you do with 800 tonnes of poo?
Compost it! We have invested in a state-of-the-art in-vessel composting system, a Hotrot 1811. This machine is capable of dealing with the 2 ½ tonnes of Zoo waste produced per day.
The composter works very simply: the poo, shredded paper, straw, sawdust and garden waste is fed into the machine which chews, grinds and frequently rotates the waste, heating it up to over 60 degrees. The heat destroys all of the pathogens (bacteria and germs) generating sterilized compost in about 15 days. This process is extremely fast; normal household compost bins will usually take approximately twelve months to decompose. The Zoo's clean compost will be used all over the site and we hope to gain our PAS100 certification soon which will mean the compost will be available to the public - keep checking here if you are interested!