CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO

	How Can I Help?
	Community Resources/Q&A
	CMZ Recycling Program
	ECO-Facts
	Educational Resources
	El Paso County Recycling Directory 2007
	Web Links

CMZoo's Recycling Program:
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s recycling program was jump started in 1999. Previously the Zoo's only recycling was of aluminum cans, a program operated by the members of the local chapter of the AAZK (American Association of ZooKeepers), donating the financial rewards of the program to the Zoo’s animal enrichment program. Now in addition to AAZK's program, the Zoo recycles all that is possible including plastic, newspaper, office paper, cardboard and paperboard, old Christmas trees, ink-jet and laser cartridges, toner cartridges, cell phones and batteries. We strive to be a green business with programs for on-site  and community recycling.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo attempts to re-use wherever possible, from feed sacks and cardboard boxes that are used for animal enrichment, to fallen trees and branches that are used for perching and propping.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo purchases and uses materials made from recycled products whenever possible.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s education programs and events emphasize the importance of recycling and conservation to members of the community.  The Zoo uses products made from recycled products whenever possible.

How Can I Help?:
Choose to take action by learning how you can help below with some of these simple and impacting choices!
You can help the environment and benefit the Zoo on your next trip to the Zoo!

ACTION: Bring all your old ink jet and laser cartridges, cell phones and ALL household dry batteries (including lithium and rechargeable batteries) to the Zoo for recycling!
WHERE: There are bins for all three recyclable items at the Admissions Booth at the Zoo; daily 9am - 5pm.
We are accepting all cell phones and all household  DRY batteries (ie. AA, D, C, button ,etc. and all rechargable batteries for recycling! We also accept all ink jet and laser cartridges, Or, you can have pre-paid mailers sent to you for cartridges at no cost -visit:www.recyclefree.com and please designate the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as the donation recipient.
IMPACT?: We ship these items out in pre-paid boxes to companies that recycle them and get issued a check to support animal conservation programs. Thank you for helping the Zoo and the planet!

ACTION: Donate your vehicle to the Zoo via Vehicles for Charity!
WHERE: Find out more here.
IMPACT?: Instead of dumping that old vehicle, proceeds from it's salvage sales will help the zoo!

ACTION: Learn more about our local community recycling.
WHERE: Begin with our Community Resources/Q&A section to discover Colorado Springs' recycling resources.
IMPACT?: Every bit helps and every action serves earth-wise and resource conservation efforts worldwide.

ACTION: Utilize educational resources to assist in learning about recycling and the environment!
WHERE: Begin at Eco-facts and continue to Educational Resources listings and see if any books, videos or websites can help with your learning. Discover your ecological "footprint."
IMPACT?: Knowledge is power and it starts with you - you can make a difference too!

ECO-Facts:

• A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That's closed loop recycling at its finest!

• Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95 percent less energy and 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy needed to produce one can using virgin ore.

• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or run your television for three hours.

• Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out  half of the can's volume of gasoline.

• Last year 54 billion cans were recycled saving the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil - America's entire gas consumption for one day.

• Idling your car for over 10 seconds wastes more fuel than turning it off & on.

How do I stop (most) junk mail?
- Go to www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist.html or write to:
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Assoc.
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

- To get off the 'springs values' junk mail we all get, just call 719-636-0159

Where in Colorado Springs can I recycle Styrofoam?
- SCA Packaging on Garden of Gods & Centennial Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO  USA

Is there a place to recycle my old athletic shoes?
Nike has a great program where they take all used athletic shoes and recycle them in to playground surfaces etc.
There is only one drop off site in Colorado Springs - at the Boulder Running Company, Austin Bluffs.

Is there an El Paso County resource for recycling and environmental issues?
YES! The El Paso County Solid Waste Management Department provides educational programs, publications including recycling directories, household chemical waste collection programs, hazardous waste collection programs, and yard waste/mountain reclamation programs. Numerous pubilications (some linked below for your convenience) are available with valuable information on community and area wide recycling.

Recycling Directory 2007 (pdf) - Closing the Loop

Electronic Waste

Household Chemical Waste Collection Program (pdf)

Homebound/Senior at Home Pickup Program (pdf)

Yard Waste Collection Program (pdf)

Black Forest Slash/Mulch Program (pdf)
 

More to come.....

Educational Resources:
A listing of books, videos and websites that can assist you in teaching any age child about cleanup and recycling, and environmental acitvism and the importance of reaching out to others. Resources for adults are also liste, so you too can become an informed and active citizen. If you have any suggestions, please e-mail us. (An exerpt from: www.doinggoodtogether.org/)

CLEANUP AND RECYCLING
Preschool and Early Elementary
Recycle That by Faye Robinson (Children’s Press, 1995) Simple explanation of recycling with photographs.

Recycle! A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons (Little, Brown and Company, 1996) Learn about garbage and landfills, and find out what happens to paper, glass, cans and plastic when they are recycled.

Where the Garbage Goes, a video by Fred Levine Productions, 1997. Kids can learn about garbage and recycling while watching lots of heavy equipment – grinders, loaders, and haulers -- do its job.

Late Elementary
50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle by the Earth Works Group, illustrated by Michele Montez (EarthWorks Press, 1994). Recycle at home, at school and in your community. This book will tell you how.

Recycle City http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/
Games, activities and stories to help kids learn about reducing waste and encouraging recycling.

Waste Disposal by Sally Morgan (Franklin Watts, 2000) Find out where waste (nuclear, dirty water, garbage, toxic) goes and how it affects the environment. Also learn about recycling metals, glass and paper, and discover what kids can do to help deal with waste.

Young Adult
Garbage and Recycling: Opposing Viewpoints edited by Helen Cothran (Greenhaven Press, 2003). Provides varying points of view on whether garbage and toxic waste are serious problems, the effectiveness of recycling and the innovations that will reduce waste.

Adult
Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage by William Rathaje and Cullen Murphy (HarperCollins Publishers, 1992). A review of garbage research from University of Arizona’s Garbage Project.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM
Preschool and Early Elementary
Dinosaurs to the Rescue: A Guide to Protecting Our Planet by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown (Little Brown and Co., 1992) Cartoon characters teach kids all the ways they can help save the earth, from collecting trash for recycling to using less water and electricity.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1976). A rhyming account of an ecological crisis in the Truffula forest. A video is also available.

Our Big Home: An Earth Poem by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Elisa Kleven (The Millbrook Press, 2000) An inspirational poem, along with whimsical drawings, about what everyone on the planet shares – water, sky and sun.

Late Elementary
50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth by The EarthWorks Group, illustrated by Michele Montez (Andrew McNeels Publishing, 1990). A series of practical ideas for what kids can do to heal the planet. Lots of fun facts and clear explanations.

Ecology by Steve Pollock (DK Publishing, Inc., 2000). An Eyewitness Science book filled with information, photos and drawings that teach about food webs, the water cycle, ecological niches, population growth and evolution.

Hoot by Carl Hiassen (Knopf Publishing, 2002). An ecological mystery for the middle school set in which Roy, a new kid at school, sets out to save some burrowing owls from developers.

How to Save the Planet by Barbara Taylor, illustrated by Scoular Anderson (Franklin Watts, 2001). Fun, simple and comprehensive source for explanations of important environmental issues, including ozone depletion, pollution, garbage and habitat extinction.

Young Adult and Adult
The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century by the Environmental Careers Organization (Island Press, 1999) If you or your teens are considering an environmentally-related career, check out dozens of possibilities in this comprehensive guide.

Dr. Art’s Guide to Planet Earth: For Earthlings Ages 12 to 120 by Art Sussman, Ph.D., illustrated by Emiko Koike (WestEd Publishing, 2000) A systems approach to how the earth works that is compelling, well-organized and understandable. There are also recommendations for what young people can do to help save the planet.

CMZoo Homepage

4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road Colorado Springs, CO  80906 Phone(719)633-9925  Fax (719)633-2254