How lucky is Chicago to have Lake Michigan on our doorstep? Not only is it beautiful, but it provides for millions of people and animals who are facing a huge challenge: plastic. About 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year, threatening the health of wildlife and the quality of our drinking water.
The waste is mostly single-use plastic, including things like carryout food containers and delivery packaging. The good news? We can work together to reduce it! Though plastic pollution can sometimes feel like an impossible hurdle, we’re up for the fight to protect our planet and we hope you are, too!
Together — using sustainable, science-based solutions — we can stop the flow of plastics into our lakes, rivers and ocean to protect the animals and people that call these places home.
Our everyday actions can make a difference, demonstrating a demand for substantial changes to protect our environment and the people and wildlife who inhabit it. Here is how you can help:
Switch to Reusables
Swapping everyday plastic items for reusables is planet-friendly and will save you money in the long run! Things like disposable cutlery, plastic sandwich and grocery bags, water bottles and more can be replaced with long-lasting, reusable alternatives.
Do you know how much single-use plastic you’re actually using each week? Download Shedd’s Plastic Action Guide to help you identify which disposable plastic items you use the most. Then, take a tally and find opportunities to switch to reusable alternatives.
Shedd is advocating for policies that will help animals and their habitats thrive. With your help, we can pressure our policymakers to make the positive changes needed to limit the production of plastic, improve recycling and support reuse systems. We’ll deliver easy, one-click ways to send a letter to your lawmakers, sign petitions and get involved in your community.
Spend a beautiful day outdoors picking up litter from the Lake Michigan and Chicago River shorelines on a Shedd Aquarium Action Day. Your time and effort will make a tangible difference, preventing plastic from contaminating our drinking water or harming local wildlife like piping plovers, snapping turtles and more.
Restaurants across Chicago are joining us in the fight against plastic! With support from the Let’s Shedd Plastic restaurant program, your favorite food establishments are working to reduce plastic use in their operations. Make a plan to eat at Let’s Shedd Plastic restaurants that are making more sustainable choices.
Did you know that Shedd partners with Chicago-area restaurants and businesses to help them go green? Using Shedd’s plastic-reduction expertise and resources, members of the Let’s Shedd Plastic restaurant program have made a commitment to reduce the amount of plastic they’re using and distributing to customers.
How Shedd and Our Partners are Reducing Plastic
In Aquarium Operations
Shedd diverts an average of 80% of our waste from the landfill each year through recycling and composting efforts. Guests help to sort their waste while on site, choosing between recycling, compost or landfill at the trash receptacles throughout the building. The waste is then hauled to a facility and further sorted into recycled and landfilled content.
Shedd also partners with other zoos and aquariums nationwide through the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) to broaden our impact, participating in sustainability audits, contributing to plastic reduction campaigns to educate our audiences about plastic pollution and sustainable solutions and advocating for legislation that supports waste reduction.
Read our blog to learn more about how Shedd is reducing waste and water and conserving energy.
In Food Service
Shedd’s long-standing food service partner, Sodexo Live!, works to ensure that every aspect of our cafeterias and catering operations are planet-friendly and moving toward plastic free. In Bubble Net food court and Soundings Cafe, guests use reusable and upcycled trays, utensils and cups. All grab-and-go food containers and napkins are compostable - even those that appear like plastic are made from plant-based materials.
Reduction of food waste, sustainably sourcing food and repurposing kitchen grease are also among Sodexo’s top priorities. Explore our Shopping and Dining page to dive deeper, or read stories of Sodexo's impact across the country.
