Zero G Sustainability
Inspired by our commitment to share the wonders of space exploration, Zero G embodies our collective journey with the community towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
As a multifaceted organization that includes an educational center, event space, and theater, we recognize the unique opportunity we have to positively influence a broad audience.
Through the implementation of sustainable concessions, responsible merchandising, and Green Office procedures, we aim to significantly reduce our environmental footprint.
Moreover, Zero G places a strong emphasis on community outreach and K-12 education about sustainable practices. We understand that sustainability is not just a personal endeavor but a collective responsibility, and we are committed to empowering individuals of all ages to make informed decisions that benefit our environment.
Sustainable Practices
FSU Green Office - Gold Certificated
As the K-12 outreach facility for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, we have partnered with FSU's Office of Sustainability to evaluate our workspace procedures and received a Gold level certification.
FSU's Green Office Program is a certification process that promotes practices to reduce our overall footprint and build a university-wide culture of environmental care in the following sectors:
- Climate Action: Reducing greenhouse gas footprint through energy conservation and efficiency
- Waste Minimization: Maximizing the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) principles
- Resource Stewardship: Expanding commitment to best practices that prioritize the protection of the North Florida ecosystem
- Education for Sustainability: Ensuring all students have access to sustainability-related learning experiences
Recyclables We Collect
To provide sustainable educational experiences, our STEAM Team incorporates recyclables into hands-on activities. Instead of placing these items in your recycling bin, consider dropping them off at our Center to support science projects and creative learning.
We collect:
- Empty water bottles
- Empty gallon jugs
- Empty paper towel & toilet paper rolls
- Cardboard
- Craft supplies
If you have items that aren’t listed above but think they might be useful in our classrooms, please give us a call—we’ll be happy to let you know if we can use them.
Water Bottle Refill Stations
We installed new water bottle stations at each water fountain so team members and visitors can easily fill their reusable bottles. Come fill up your reusable water bottle to see another number added to the total number of bottles saved.Â
Bring Your Own Cup for Concessions
We now offer a Bring Your Own Cup option at the concession stand. Bring your own reusable bottle for fountain drink refills up to 40 ounces for only $5. It's a refreshing way to treat yourself while reducing single-use plastics.Â
Improved Concessions Containers
Single-use plastics have been a mainstay of food service for as long as most of us can remember. While this provided a cheap and sanitary solution for quick service counters, technology has made long strides in the past few decades.
As part of our sustainability initiative, we set out to replace all our food containers with biodegradable and compostable materials and found that these materials needed to be disposed of at a commercial composting facility. Since the greater Tallahassee area is not yet equipped with this type of facility, we shifted our focus to selecting packaging with the lowest environmental impact during production.
We have transitioned to plant-based plastics and bamboo containers that allow us to move away from petroleum dependent plastics and traditional paper products.
Fun Facts:
- Bamboo fiber containers use less energy than traditional paper during processing, plus bamboo replenishes itself much faster than trees.
- Curious why traditional paper cups can't be recycled? Paper cups have a plastic coating on the inside to prevent leaking.
Multi Stream Recycling
Our center maintains a comprehensive multi-stream recycling program. Throughout the facility, you will find Community Waste Stations equipped with clearly labeled bins for different types of waste and recycling, including landfill, bottles/cans, and paper. If you're unsure which items belong in each bin, please refer to the images and information provided on the side of each bin. In our office spaces, we offer additional recycling containers designed for the collection of cardboard, small electronics, batteries, and other recyclable materials.
Textile recycling
While clothing and textiles can be donated and reused, we tend to exhaust our resources for their full useful life. Since most recycling facilities do not accept textiles, these items usually wind up going to a landfill. We have partnered with a vendor that allows us to pay a small fee to fully recycle our textiles and divert them from the landfills.
Digital Business Cards
While the impact might seem small, the environmental cost of using paper business cards quickly adds up. By switching to digital business cards, our team is saving trees, reducing waste, and improving our overall carbon footprint.