Detroit Zoo To Stop Selling Bottled Water

ROYAL OAK (CW50) – It's soon to be a BYOB party at the Detroit Zoo. They have launched a three-year program to phase out the sale of bottled water at the park.

This move is part of the Detroit Zoological Society's (DZS) Greenprint sustainability plan.

Bottled water is a significant revenue generator for the zoo with $240,000 in annual sales, but it is also the largest portion of the parks plastic waste.

"This phase-out will cost us revenue, but it's important to walk our talk and do what's good for the environment," said DZS Executive Director and CEO Ron Kagan.

Patrons will notice more reusable water bottles for sale and free filtered water filling stations during the transition.

According to the Earth Policy Institute, more than 30 billion water bottles each year end up as garbage or litter in the United States. Additionally, it takes 5 liters of water to make 1 liter of bottled water, and it requires about a quarter of a water bottle of oil to produce, transport and dispose of a single bottle of water.

The Detroit Zoo is open 362 days a year, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through Labor Day (with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the day after Labor Day through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March. Admission is $14 for adults 15 to 61, $12 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $9 for children 2 to 14 (children under 2 are free). For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.