70% of Waste Diverted from Landfill as Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Renews Sustainability Pledge

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s waste report shows that on average, 70.42% of the Sanctuary’s waste has been diverted from landfill each month for the past 13 months to be repurposed, to reduce the Gold Coast’s environmental footprint. The report also shows the Sanctuary’s conservation practises saved 31 trees, 9.874kWH electricity and 77kL of water in July 2021 alone. Three years ago, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary began phasing out single use plastics, and supports the Queensland Government’s move to do the same from September 2021. In the past year, more than 59% of all organic waste produced was diverted and turned into fertilizer.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary General Manager Michael Kelly said, “Sustainable practices are an integral part of everyday operations at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. By diverting our waste into fertilizer, we can be more self-sufficient in taking care of the precious flora and fauna that call the Sanctuary home.”

Throughout the past year, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has also reached out to local school students through its Wildlife Over Waste Conservation Champion Chats, engaging 6,943 school students in environmental education. Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, this program has been successfully delivered to 10 schools in person and 21 virtually in the past year. Proudly supported by a grant from the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation, the program raises awareness about waste and recycling options and educates young people about their local environment.

All of these efforts are key to the renewal of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s EcoTourism Accreditation. EcoTourism Certification is a world-first program which recognises operators as having a primary focus on nature and a strong, well-managed commitment to sustainable practises.

Every four years, EcoTourism Australia undertakes an audit and re-accreditation process. In May, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was audited extensively. The Sanctuary received positive feedback regarding its commitment to ecotourism and sustainability, excellent consideration of accessibility through the Sanctuary and its website, fantastic internal communication and continuous guest education.

Michael said, “People want to know that the organisations they support are fully committed to sustainability. At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, we have always been focussed on delivering this through our famous conservation work, but also through our business practises behind the scenes.”

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary first became an accredited EcoTourism Australia facility in 2009. It has continued to grow its ecotourism credentials and now features Advanced EcoTourism Certification along with Respecting Our Culture (ROC) Certification.