A healthy ocean starts here
The Aquarium is committed to doing all that we can to protect the ocean. This includes reducing sources of ocean plastic pollution, combating climate change impacts on ocean health, and modeling best practices of environmental sustainability. To do so, we must practice what we preach — by ensuring our retail operations and the products we sell are in line with our mission, strategic goals, and policy initiatives.
Plush goal
All plush to be made with 100 percent recycled materials and stitched eyes rather than plastic by mid-year 2023.
Our cuddly and adorable plush ocean animals are made from synthetic fibers. We aimed to have all of our plush made with 100 percent recycled materials and replace the plastic eyes of all plush with stitched eyes by mid-year 2023. By working closely with our vendors, we’re 99 percent of the way to this goal. We’re also continuing to explore alternatives, including plush made just from natural materials like cotton and wool.
Milestones
✔ March 2022: 75 percent of all plush sold are made with 100 percent recycled materials
✔ June 2023: All plush items will be made with 100 percent recycled materials.
Apparel goal
Reduce apparel made from synthetic or blended materials by 2025 to less than 10% of all apparel.
Clothing from synthetic petroleum-based materials — like nylon, acrylic, rayon, and polyester — shed microfibers when washed. These microfibers are a significant source of ocean plastic pollution. That’s why we’re working to reduce the amount of apparel made from synthetic or blended materials in our retail stores by 2025.
Milestones
✔ 2021: 80 percent of all new apparel products are now made from natural fibers
✔ March 2022: Reduced apparel made from synthetic/blends by 30 percent
✔ March 2023: Reduce apparel made from synthetic/blends by 60 percent
End of 2024: Working towards eight percent of apparel made from synthetic/blends by December 2024.
Toys & gifts goal
Eliminate 100 percent of plastic toy and gift products by 2025.
From metal magnets to wool ornaments and wood stickers — we’ve replaced many of our typical plastic products with ones made from more sustainable materials. By 2025, we aim to eliminate all plastic products, except for a small amount of reusable and durable items made from recycled plastics.
Milestones
✔ 2021: Eliminated 100 percent of all Aquarium-branded plastic items
✔ March 2022: Reduced other plastic items in the store by 45 percent
✔ March 2023: Reduce remaining plastic items by 75 percent
✔ December 2023: Four months ahead of schedule, reduced plastic toys by 100 percent
We feature items made from sustainable materials, made in energy-saving ways, by companies that care about their environmental impact. We sell locally made items to help shrink the emissions produced by shipping and we choose vendors who manufacture their goods using less energy and water. When carbon emissions can’t be avoided, our vendors offset their emissions by investing in reputable projects that reduce emissions and produce renewable energy. Our goal is for our retail operations to be carbon neutral by 2025.
We partner with suppliers that are committed to doing right by their people and the planet. We support fair-trade practices and ethical working conditions. We also feature products from many vendors who are certified as following sustainable business practices.
We’re committed to making waves, not waste. That’s why we feature reusable, recyclable, and repurposed products to help keep waste out of the landfill and ocean.