Aquariums celebrate the natural wonders of the marine world and champion the protection of marine wildlife and our oceans – which are under threat as a result of plastic pollution.
But with many visitors eating at cafes in the facility, waste is inevitably created and the associated environmental impact needs to be considered and managed.
Single-use packaging is often required in foodservice settings as it offers a safe and convenient way to serve food. But all too often single-use packaging, along with food scraps and organic waste, ends up heading to landfill – or worse, the natural environment.
Sea Life Aquarium in Auckland knew they had to take a stand and improve their practices around waste management. In a bid to reduce negative environmental impacts, Sea Life has swapped conventional single-use packaging for carbon-neutral, compostable packaging and started using the BioPak compost service to divert packaging waste and food scraps from the landfill.