Prague Zoological Garden opened in 1931 with the goal to “advance the study of zoology, protect wildlife, and educate the public”. The zoo occupies 58 hectares (140 acres) with 50 hectares (120 acres) in use for exhibits, and housed around 5,000 animals from just 676 species, including 132 species listed as threatened.
The Prague Zoo has 2 restaurants, 7 cafes and many refreshment stands for those in search of food or a snack. The Zoo serves all food and drinks in compostable tableware, and composts all organic waste on-site in Oklin’s composter as part of their commitment to sustainability.
At the food service outlets, there are separate bins for landfill waste, recyclables, organic food waste as well as compostable packaging. Once Zoo patrons have separated their waste, custodial staff ensures there are no contamination prior to emptying the compostable packaging waste into the on-site shredder. Organic food waste and shredded compostable waste is then added into the composter.
After a 24 hour composting cycle, the food waste and shredded compostable pieces will have disappeared, and what results is a nutrient-rich compost that can be used as fertilizer. Zoo Praha uses the compost on their hundreds of acres of land to fertilize the grounds, creating a zero waste cycle, in which compostable waste no longer needs to be hauled off-site.
