Sustainable Buying

Overview

The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is committed to sustainability and has made a concerted effort to purchase locally and source products that are more environmentally friendly. 

• At our annual Boo at the Zoo event, we go to our local Repurpose Project to buy gently used items for building sets. We also encourage keepers to upcycle items for themed areas and costumes.
• We follow recommendations from Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping Guides to buy candy for Boo at the Zoo.  
• We utilize Seafood Watch recommendations for sustainably harvested seafood when we purchase fish. We also buy our seafood from Northwest Seafood, a local company, where the fish we purchase are harvested in Florida.
• We buy native plants from local nurseries for animal habitats and zoo grounds beautification.
• We buy our produce from a local company that sources seasonal fruits and vegetables from local farms when possible.
• We purchase staff and student uniforms from a local printing company. 
• Most of the items in our gift shop are from Wild Republic, who has worked in recent years to improve their sustainability by filling their plush with 100% recycled water bottles, using soy ink, and working on a biodegradable alternative to plastic packaging.