Perth Zoo is offering gardeners the opportunity to welcome an elephant, rhino or lion into their backyards to help their gardens grow wild.
Just in time for Spring, Perth Zoo is selling its excess animal manure and garden waste which has been treated, composted and packaged as ‘Creature Compost’.
Perth Zoo’s Sustainability Coordinator, Daniel Baker, said: “Perth Zoo’s animals produce about 600 kilograms of manure every day.
“With more than 1,500 animals cared for at the Zoo, as well as green waste from our extensive gardens we have a lot of waste to get rid of.”
“We’d particularly like to thank our elephants who are jumbo contributors to the product.”
“Each elephant can produce 90 kilograms of poo a day! Whilst our Rhinos make it nice and easy for us to collect as they defecate in the same spot, creating ‘poo middens’ a strategy used by the species to mark their territory, “ said Daniel.
“Rather than sending all this waste to landfill, we work with our partner, Nutrarich, who take it to their site in the Swan Valley to be composted according to Australian standards.”
“What we don’t use on the Zoo’s lush gardens we are now making available for the community to purchase – who wouldn’t want to say they’ve had a little help from a giraffe, bear or tiger!”
Apart from being found nowhere else in Australia, Creature Compost is also sustainable.
“This product has helped us divert 500 tonnes of organic waste from landfill in the past 12 months.”
“Burying organic materials produces large volumes of methane, one of the worst greenhouse gasses, so we’re thrilled to be able to reduce our environmental footprint even further.”
“And it’s the product that just keeps on giving as funds raised from the purchase of Creature Compost helps with the running costs of the Zoo, which means we can divert more money into saving wildlife,” said Daniel.
Bulk orders can be collected from Nutrarich at their Swan Valley depot.
Fact Sheet
- ‘Creature Compost’ is created from Perth Zoo’s animal manure and garden waste.
- Total volume of organic waste leaving Perth Zoo for composting is approx. 500 metric tonnes per year.
- Approx. half is animal manures, the other half is green waste (garden clippings, chipping etc).
- This high quality compost is found nowhere else in Australia.
- Perth Zoo (WA’s original botanical gardens) has been using it on their botanical estate for years.
- The excess is now available for public purchase.
- The waste is treated and composted by Nutrarich to the Australian standard for mulches and compost: AS4454
- Perth Zoo partnered with Nutrarich because of their sustainability credentials and their commitment to ‘closed loop recycling’.
Product Options
Creature Compost 25 litre bag – $14.95
Available for purchase online only (with free delivery within the Perth metro area)
Creature Compost Bulk Pick-up. $64 per 6×4 trailer
Available from Nutrarich, Swan Valley Landscape Supplies.
1118 Great Northern Hwy,
Baskerville, Western Australia 6056