The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the global alliance of regional associations, national federations and institutions, has announced the launch of a new tool that will help consumers to make sustainable decisions when purchasing products. This has been developed by the WAZA Palm Oil Subcommittee and its member institutions Cheyenne Mountain Zoo representing the United States and Canada, Chester Zoo representing the United Kingdom, and Auckland Zoo representing Australia and New Zealand.
The new mobile app, PalmOil Scan, will help to show why zoos and aquariums should care about Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). Users can simply scan a product’s barcode and learn whether or not the company that makes it has a commitment to sourcing CSPO. These businesses are rated on a scale from poor to excellent, or will show no commitment.
App now available in UK, US and Canada
Consumers can also use the app to search by keywords and can get in touch with admins with queries about the companies that are included. It is now available in the US, Canada and UK, with plans to roll PalmOil Scan out to more countries later this year, and WAZA members will be able to become app administrators. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is currently the admin for the US and Canada, and Chester Zoo has taken on the role for the UK. Their responsibility is to monitor the sourcing commitments of companies sourcing palm oil and operating in their regions.
WAZA and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2017 to establish a framework to further their shared goals and objectives. WAZA has also published a Short Guide and a resources website on this topic.
PalmOil Scan app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
The 77th WAZA Annual Conference will take place from 23 to 27 October 2022 at Loro Parque in Tenerife. This year’s event will see a return to in-person events for zoos and aquariums around the world, following the online conference held in 2021.
