ROYAL OAK — Love Gone Wild, the annual Valentine’s Day affair held by the Detroit Zoological Society, is set to be their first zero-waste event.
“We are strategically selecting the types of products we’re using and assessing our needs for this event,” says Beth Wallace, Detroit Zoo’s manager of sustainability.
In order to achieve zero-waste at Love Gone Wild, the zoo aims to prepare only the amount of food they think guests will consume, has selected menu items that will be composting-friendly, and will be serving the supper on china to prevent waste generated by disposable dishware.
The goal of the zoo’s Greenprint — a plan to become entirely zero-waste zoo-wide by 2020 — is to recycle and reuse as many products as possible to prevent trash from going to landfills by refining and improving daily practices and facilities, developing new policies and programs, and improving green literacy in the community.
Love Gone Wild, the 21-and-older affair, will be held from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Feb. 14 in the Detroit Zoo’s Ford Education Center. The event offers a champagne welcome, a strolling supper, two drink tickets, and a candid, intimate, and entertaining look at how the Detroit Zoo’s animal residents do the “wild thing.”
“Because this is our first zero-waste event, we will not only evaluate our success but also determine where improvements can be made,” Wallace says.
The zoo plans to also incorporate zero-waste elements into this year’s Sunset at the Zoo fundraising gala on June 12.
In recognition of their continuous efforts in sustainability, the Detroit Zoo was presented with the Green Award by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2014.
Tickets for Love Gone Wild are available at Window One at the front of the Zoo and online at detroitzoo.org/events/love-gone-wild.
