Sustainability

Aquarium staff track our overall energy bills and outfit our facility with energy-efficient equipment to lower consumption. We run high-efficiency HVAC systems on automated controls, take advantage of natural lighting where possible, and install motion sensor lights, high-efficiency lightbulbs, and EnergyStar electronics and appliances in our buildings. We also have an in-house Energy Conservation Team and have conducted energy audits on our facilities in the past.

We repurpose items such as packing supplies (including packing peanuts), gift boxes, toner cartridges, and glass bottles for Water Quality Lab samples (as opposed to plastic). We also reuse all exhibit signage base materials and convert vinyl billboards into store merchandise such as bags and wallets.

We safely and responsibly dispose of hazardous wastes and materials such as paint, CFLs, and medical waste from our veterinary procedures.

Membership cards are digital by default, with any paper cards printed (upon request) on biodegradable materials. Only 9% of our Marketing Team's media purchases are in print, and print materials are post-consumer recyclable and compostable. Soy-based ink and non-UV finishes (UV being non-recyclable) are used on any print materials we create.