Riverbanks and PalmettoPride partner to ramp up recycling
December 8, 2015
Guests visiting Riverbanks Zoo and Garden will soon notice more recycling bins located throughout the park. One-hundred additional containers will be placed in the Zoo and Garden with support from PalmettoPride.
Representatives from PalmettoPride and the Department of Health and Environmental Control will be at the Zoo for a special check presentation on Tuesday, December 15 at 10am.
Riverbanks currently sells or uses approximately 188,580 plastic bottles, cans and glass bottles each year which amounts to nearly 600 pounds of waste that could be diverted from landfills and recovered for future use.
“The Zoo is eager to make recycling an integral part of the guest experience,” said Laura Caster, general manager of Service Systems Associates at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. “With PalmettoPride’s contribution, Riverbanks now has a new avenue for driving home the importance of making environmentally conscious decisions.”
Riverbanks will place the recycling containers next to every trash receptacle in the park giving the more than one-million guests who visit the Zoo and Garden each year easy access to help with waste reduction. Sarah Lyles, director of PalmettoPride, adds that the organization’s partnership with Riverbanks has huge potential for altering adverse actions that impact the environment.
“Litter has a negative effect on economic development and tourism. Litter and recycling go hand-in-hand. Partnering with South Carolina’s largest gated tourist attraction to provide people with more access to trash cans and recycling bins gives us tremendous opportunity to change the behavior that creates litter,” said Lyles.
About Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
For more than 40 years, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has connected individuals, families and groups with the world’s wildlife and wild places. Riverbanks is a special purpose district governed by the Riverbanks Park Commission, which consists of seven members, two appointed by Richland County Council, two by Lexington County Council, two by the City of Columbia, and one jointly by the three entities. It is the mission of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden to foster appreciation and concern for all living things. Riverbanks Zoo is located at 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, SC 29210. The Botanical Garden entrance is located at 1300 Botanical Parkway, West Columbia, SC 29169. The park is open daily from 9am to 5pm, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Admission is $13.95 for adults, $11.50 for children ages 2 – 12 and free for children younger than 2. Group rates and other discounts may apply. Year-round membership packages are also available. For more information, call Riverbanks at 803.779.8717, visit www.riverbanks.org or www.facebook.com/riverbankszoo.
About PalmettoPride
PamlettoPride is a 501C3 non-profit litter prevention and beautification organization in South Carolina. We engage citizens to take an active role in keeping their communities clean and beautiful. Our programs have helped reduce litter by more than 60%. For more information, please visit www.palmettopride.org.
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