How John Ball Zoo Uses Composting and Guest Education to Diverting Over 470,000 Pounds of Waste Annually

John Ball Zoo is a 129-year-old, 110-acre conservation-based zoo and cultural facility located in West Michigan. As the 10th oldest zoo in the United States, it is home to more than 213 species and over 2,220 animals, and participates in 50 Species Survival Plans. With a mission to inspire people to actively participate in wildlife and environmental conservation, the Zoo integrates sustainability into daily operations and guest experiences.

Waste management has become a core priority for John Ball Zoo as it works toward the goal of becoming a zero-waste-to-landfill organization. Today, the Zoo diverts more than 470,000 pounds of material annually, achieving an 80% diversion rate, through a combination of composting, recycling, operational innovation, and education.

Designing Efficient Waste Systems for a Conservation-Based Facility

Due to the nature of animal care and facility operations, John Ball Zoo generates a significant volume of waste each year. This includes approximately 225,000 pounds of animal waste and bedding, along with yard waste, food waste, compostable foodware, cardboard, cans, paper, plastics, light bulbs, cell phones, ink cartridges, and hazardous materials. Early feasibility studies explored anaerobic digestion and on-site composting, eventually leading to streamlined processes that supported participation in commercial composting programs.

Prior to 2008, waste from animal enclosures and park areas was individually bagged and hauled to landfill dumpsters, an inefficient and labor-intensive process. A turning point came when the Zoo received a donation of more than 50 rolling carts from PADNOS and Cascade Engineering. Careerline Tech Center-Ottawa ISD welding students then designed and fabricated custom hauling trailers capable of transporting multiple carts to centralized collection points.

This innovation eliminated the need for nearly 8,000 trash bags per year, significantly reduced labor and hauling costs, and improved employee safety by minimizing direct handling of animal waste and bedding. The same cart-and-trailer system has since been expanded to recycling and landfill waste streams. The trailers are also used for off-site hauling to the Kent County Recycling Center and for transporting 85% of yard waste to the City of Grand Rapids compost yard.

Events and Concessions Demonstrate Hospitality Possibilities

Zoo concessions serve more than 100,000 guests annually, generating approximately 42,000 pounds of waste. Nearly all concession-related waste is diverted through composting and recycling, with almost all serviceware designed to be compostable or recyclable. Two remaining challenges, condiment packets and items brought in by guests, continue to be addressed through education and vendor engagement.

John Ball Zoo has used paper straws since 2017, diverting an estimated 30,000 plastic straws from landfill each year. Following a mixed-response no-straw pilot, the paper option has proven to be a successful and well-received compromise. The Zoo also sells reusable metal straws in its gift shop. Alcoholic beverages are poured into compostable cups by staff, allowing aluminum cans to be recycled back-of-house and reducing contamination risks.

The Zoo has expanded these practices to zero-waste events, working with new vendors and caterers capable of meeting compostable and reusable requirements. Each year, John Ball Zoo hosts approximately 150 external events and 10 internal events, serving thousands of guests. Combined with changes to internal meeting practices, these efforts increased the Zoo’s overall diversion rate by an additional 5%.

Optimizing Experience and Efficiency Through Guest Education

As the fifth most attended cultural facility in Michigan, John Ball Zoo welcomes more than 500,000 visitors annually and reaches more than 700,000 people through conservation messaging. Managing waste brought in by guests remains one of the Zoo’s greatest challenges, particularly given the limited opportunity to engage one-time or infrequent visitors.

To address this, the Zoo partnered with Kent County to develop customized signage that integrates consistent recycling and composting messaging across the park. These visual tools help guests properly sort waste while increasing awareness of countywide landfill reduction efforts. Recycling and composting education has also been incorporated into youth programming, reinforcing sustainability values beyond the Zoo visit.