The Florida Aquarium Joins the July Plastic Free Ecochallenge

July 4, 2024

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Tampa, FL (July 4, 2024) – As a conservation-based aquarium and leader in creating a more sustainable world, The Florida Aquarium is proud to support the Plastic Free Ecochallenge throughout July. The Aquarium joins other zoos, aquariums, educational institutions, and conservation organizations across North America in this inspiring month-long event. Last year, the Aquarium ranked sixth in the competition that encourages staff and the community to reduce single-use plastic to help keep our neighborhoods beautiful and ensure cleaner streets and oceans.

The Florida Aquarium partners with beverage, retail and food service providers dedicated to advancing its sustainability commitments and has implemented several initiatives to positively impact the environment, including:

Plastic-Free Beverages

• Transitioning from selling single-use plastic beverage bottles in Cafe Ray to using recycleable glass and aluminum in partnership with Coca-Cola Beverages Florida.

Sustainable Food and Catering

• Collaborating with food service and catering partner, SSA Group to:
  • Source food, wine, beer, and coffee from 13 nearby vendors to support local businesses and reduce fuel emissions.
  • Serve only sustainable seafood.
  • Minimize use of single-use and plastic items to support landfill diversion efforts.
  • Provide unserved food to Feeding Tampa Bay and aid community members in need.

Shop Sustainably

• Partnering with retail provider, Event Network to:
  • Eliminate plastic bags in the Aquarium’s gift shop and offering reusable cloth bags as an alternative—saving more than 750,000 single-use plastic bags from landfills.
  • Sell stuffed animals made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, as well as reusable water bottles.
  • Stock items with minimal packaging to reduce waste.

Community Cleanups

• Removing nearly 4,000 pounds of trash from local parks and waterways from Earth Day 2024 in April through World Ocean Day, June 8. 323 volunteers joined The Florida Aquarium for Party for the Planet environmental stewardship events to fulfill our shared purpose of saving marine wildlife.

The Florida Aquarium is dedicated to protecting and restoring our Blue Planet through conservation, education and research. It remains committed to reducing its ecological footprint across its two campuses in Downtown Tampa and Apollo Beach. By driving conservation efforts with community support, the Aquarium aims to create lasting change for the preservation of the natural environment.

Join the Aquarium’s Plastic Free Ecochallenge here and get tips on reducing plastic use by following The Florida Aquarium’s social media channels.