EARLY CLOSURE
The zoo will close early at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 28, 2024, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Bold Reuse
Returnable Cup Program
As we build a better future for wildlife and people, Woodland Park Zoo and its hospitality partner, Levy, are excited to announce a new partnership with Bold Reuse that will launch a new returnable cup program as another sustainable step closer to ending single use items at the zoo.
What can zoo visitors expect?
It’s simple! All cold beverages purchased at the zoo are now served in durable, returnable cups. After visitors finish sipping their beverage, they’ll toss their returnable cups in the new bins where Bold will sort and sanitize the reusable cups to reduce single-use plastics!
In 2018, Woodland Park Zoo eliminated the sale of single-use plastics for all beverages including water, juice and soda and were replaced with canned beverages. Eliminating the sale of all single-use plastic beverage bottles saves an estimated 120,000 plastic bottles from entering the waste stream annually and reduces roughly 2,500 pounds of plastic waste at the zoo. More than three decades ago, the zoo eliminated plastic straws from zoo grounds.
“Our new initiatives at Woodland Park Zoo to switch to reusable cups and soon become fully reusable will help bring our region even closer to adopting sustainable lifestyle changes. What we do on the ground is having a positive impact on our community and we continue to move forward in establishing ourselves as a leading sustainable zoo in the nation,”
David Van Gelder, Director of Operations at Levy
Reduce Plastic Waste
We need your help to make our zero waste goals a success!
Here’s what you can do:
- Return cups at designated receptacles around the zoo labeled Bold Reuse in bright green
- Oops! Brought a Bold Reuse cup home? No problem! Drop it off at South gate, West gate admissions or CWC Reception
- Bring a reusable water bottle and fill up at our free filling stations
- Be mindful of what you bring into the zoo. Can you swap a single-use bag for a reusable one? Every bit helps!
Learn more about Bold Reuse at the zoo