Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Poop Power: 3 Reasons To Not Let Waste Go To Waste


More zoos are realizing they have a ready supply of nutrient-rich compost, courtesy of their vegetable-eating residents. And zoos are beginning to realize that poop can lucrative.

Fresno's Chaffee Zoo is the latest to, as Fresno Bee reporter Marc Benjamin says in this story, no longer let waste go to waste. Here's why:

1/ The zoo saves hauling costs. Chaffee's two elephants alone produce 55 tons worth of waste per year. If it can be used in composting, that saves $11,000 in disposal costs, according to The Bee.

2/ Chaffee Zoo can probably sell the compost, earning extra revenue. Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle earns $15,000 per year from sales of its "Zoo Doo."

3/ It benefits the environment. Some zoos also use the money to operate conservation programs.

Dung is mixed with straw, landscape clippings and fruits and vegetables to make compost. Chaffee Zoo will eventually add in droppings from zebras, giraffes and addax. Only waste from herbivores is used.

Hopefully, this year I'll be able to buy Chaffee Zoo poo for a soil additive.

The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization is a nonprofit dedicated to improving our region's quality of life by increasing its production and use of clean and alternative energy. The SJVCEO works with cities and counties and public and private organizations to demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy throughout the eight-county region of the San Joaquin Valley.
(Image from cartoonstock.com)






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