The National Aquarium diligently and creatively pursues green practices that enable it to live the mission that guides it: to provide transforming experiences that inspire people to enjoy, respect and protect the aquatic world. In 2009, the Aquarium was recognized by the Baltimore Business Journal and Smart CEO Magazine for exceptional green business practices.

With the aquatic world making up 70% of Earth, human impact on the world’s ecosystems is profound.  Humankind’s behaviors on land affect the water we drink, the water that nourishes our crops and the water that supports vast species of aquatic life.  With the capacity and the responsibility to increase public awareness of these issues, the Aquarium strives to implement green conservation action programs both within and without its walls:

• Internally, a committed and dedicated staff drives the establishment of environmentally friendly business practices.
• Externally, conservation education focuses on and communicates environmental issues and actions that the public and our staff and volunteers can undertake to effect change.
• In the community, conservation research and action projects restore, protect and manage critical species or ecosystems.

The Aquarium’s staff-driven Internal Conservation Committee (ICC) of 31 members includes a steering committee and seven sub-committees responsible for Recycling, Investigations, Internal Practices, Contract Services,Programs, Staff Awareness and Communications.

The ICC encourages responsible business practices across all departments of the Aquarium. Major accomplishments include:

Energy Audit:
Energy challenges involved in keeping 16,000 animals alive and healthy in a 20-plus-year-old building and in maintaining comfortable experiences for more than 1.4 million visitors prompted this undertaking. The results of these audits have helped shape a five-year working plan to make the Aquarium more energy efficient.

A Major Recycling Initiative:
In 2010 alone, the Aquarium recycled over 50 tons of plastic, glass, aluminum, cardboard, and paper; some 460 pounds of technotrash; 550 pounds of batteries, and e-cycled over 2,000 pounds of old computers, toner cartridges, printers, screens, etc. Additionally, 1,967 gallons of waste cooking oil from our café was recycled to biodiesel.

No small item gets thrown to the landfill if there’s a creative way to recycle it. Staff collect and send energy bar wrappers and corks to TerraCycle, a computer company that “upcycles” them into cool new products. When the drivers’ wetsuits were worn and needed replacing, we kept 53 wetsuits — equal to 92 pounds of neoprene — out of landfills by turning them into bottle cozies. Tattered uniforms are turned into cleaning rags. Last year’s banners that once lined Pratt Street were turned into stylish totes and handbags that can soon be purchased in the gift shop.

Office and Animal Supplies:

• Using Mohawk Options Paper, a coated paper with 100% recycled content, the highest in the industry, the Aquarium saved hundreds of trees on major projects. This paper is manufactured using non-polluting wind power and exceeds all EPA standard for recycled content, plus, the ink printed on it is vegetable based.
• The Aquarium ranks second in our supplier’s region for purchasing office supplies selected and ordered based on their eco-friendly production and environmental sustainability. Office supply purchases were dramatically reduced by access to an Office Supply Swap station.
• Toilet paper tubes, used towels, half-gallon jugs, guitar picks, etc. are collected by staff for education programs and to construct enrichment toys and stimulation items for animals.

Building Initiatives:

• Green Roof: In 2006, the Aquarium installed a green roof on the top of the 4-D Immersion Theater. The roof’s perimeter is approximately 120 x 40 feet. It’s about 4 feet deep and filled with native sedum plants. The green roof helps to naturally cool the building, reducing energy consumption, and has a better life span than standard hard-surface roofs. The roof is also a great benefit to the city because the plants help to reduce storm water runoff.
• Amphitheater Bleachers: When the bleachers in the dolphin show amphitheater needed replacing, the Aquarium’s facility team researched and found a manufacturer that was able to build the new bleachers from 100% recycled plastic materials.
• Pier 3 to Pier 4 bridge: In 2009, the bridge that connects Pier 3 to Pier 4 needed replacing. The Aquarium worked with the City to ensure that the bridge was made from recycled materials.
• Lights: Installation of sensor lights for triggered lighting in Aquarium office areas.
• Public Restrooms:Installation of power-generated automatic flushers and faucets in public bathrooms, which eliminates the use of batteries, which previously powered the flushers and faucets and were being replaced every few months.
• Carpet Replacement: When time came to replace worn carpet throughout the Aquarium, the facility team made sure to recycle the old carpet and replace it with one made out of recycled material.
• Composting:The Aquarium has formed a partnership with Recycled Green Industries, a commercial composting facility in Woodbine, Maryland. In 2010 a total of 31,050 pounds of organic waste from café kitchens, animal prep kitchens, and visitor and staff dining areas are hauled by EnviRelation to be composed.
• A 40,000 gallon cistern was installed to harvest rainwater for outside landscape irrigation.
• Variable Frequency Drives were installed on 10 aquarium pumps, decreasing energy their energy consumption by 50%.
• The Aquarium’s iconic neon building wave was replaced with an LED wave system, decreasing energy consumption by 70%.

Food Service:

• The coffee available onsite is grown and processed by means that support bio-diversity while providing habitat for birds and other wildlife.
• Plates, cups, utensils and napkins are made of materials that are biodegradable and compostable.
• Sustainable fish is a menu feature and Seafood Watch Pocket Guides are available to guests.
• Waste sorting stations encourage visitors to thoughtfully sort their waste into Compost, Recycle and Landfill bins. 
• To reduce waste, condiment pumps replace small plastic containers, and visitors are encouraged to request straws and beverage lids when needed.

Gift Shop: Aquarium gift shops provide biodegradable bags for purchases. Each year, lines of “green” products are introduced, which result in “green” sales of approximately $100,000.

Staff Incentives:

• To promote conservation/green behaviors, staff members are given a paid conservation day to participate in conservation events and the ICC gives green hero and green commuter awards throughout the year.
• Staff have the option to enjoy seasonal, organic, locally grown produce through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivered to our doorstep.

In the Community: The Aquarium’s Conservation department provides opportunities for community volunteers to help restore habitats and increase environmental awareness in Bay communities.

• Over 10 years, under the direction of the Aquarium, over 7,000 volunteers have given nearly 60,000 hours to help restore 145-plus acres of vital habitat in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed:

• Floating Wetland Project: On August 11, 2010 a 200 sq. ft. floating island was deployed in the Inner Harbor.  Nearly 100 volunteers, students, and Aquarium staff members had a hand in populating the base of the island with 450 salt marsh plants.  This pilot project attempts to investigate the potential of a new harbor restoration approach for habitat and water quality improvement. The goal is to introduce the floating island model to the harbor ecosystem in order to determine if the habitat and water quality improvements seen in other systems are transferrable to Baltimore’s degraded harbor.