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Detroit Zoo halts bottled water sale, citing waste
ROYAL OAK, August 8, 2013 (AP): The Detroit Zoo says it's giving up a $240,000-annual revenue stream when it stops selling bottled water to visitors.
Operators of the 125-acre zoo in suburban Royal Oak say they're acting to cut back on what is the ``largest contributor to plastic waste.''
``This phase-out will cost us revenue, but it's important to walk our talk and do what's good for the environment,'' zoo Executive Director Ron Kagan said in a statement.
The zoo says it will sell reusable water bottles that can be filled with filtered water at seven locations.
``We understand that this will be an adjustment for some visitors, but we hope it will help in a simple but significant way to make a difference for the planet,'' said Kagan.
In its announcement, the zoo described bottled water as a major waste disposal problem nationwide.
``According to the Earth Policy Institute, more than 30 billion water bottles each year end up as garbage or litter in the United States,'' he zoo said. ``Additionally, it takes 5 liters of water to make 1 liter of bottled water, and it requires about a quarter of a water bottle of oil to produce, transport and dispose of a single bottle of water. ``
Online: Details on bottled water phase-out: http://www.detroitzoo.org/about/greenprint
Detroit Zoo: http://www.detroitzoo.org
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