Cleveland Metroparks Zoo debuts recycled plush station in gift shop

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo debuts recycled plush station in gift shop

Guests are going wild for a new recycled plush station at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Wild Gifts shop. The zoo’s gift shop debuted its one-of-a-kind Build-An-Ecokin station on April 19 during its “Party for the Planet” Earth Day celebration.

“Guests of all ages have been visiting the zoo's gift shop after seeing the Build-An-Ecokin station highlighted on the local news and across social media,” says Patti Cunningham, general manager of retail for Aramark Sports + Entertainment at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. “We're excited to welcome them to participate in the interactive experience and learn more about the recycling process used to create their very own plush.”

The zoo retailer’s journey into deploying this new Build-An-Ecokin station all started after the zoo’s Executive Director Chris Kuhar challenged the director of guest service and revenue as well as Cunningham to figure out a way to use the zoo’s recycled plastic. After some research, Cunningham says the zoo partnered with Unifi’s Repreve, a manufacturer in Greensboro, North Carolina, that uses recycled plastic water bottles and turns them into recycled fiber fill.

“Repreve began picking up recycled plastic from the material recovery facility in Oberlin, Ohio, that receives recycled plastic from our community, including the zoo’s recycled plastic, in November 2023,” explains Cunningham. “In 2024, Repreve collected almost 1.7 million pounds of recycled plastic from that MRF.”

Plastic from the MRF was sent to Unifi Repreve’s factory in Greensboro to transform the recycled plastic into fibers such as thread or filling for plush.

The zoo retailer also teamed with Wild Republic in Independence, Ohio, on this project. Cunningham says the plush manufacturer allowed Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to use a few skins from the Wild Republic Ecokins line for the new recycled plush station at its gift shop. The wholesale vendor even helped the zoo retailer to sew a patch on the Ecokins skins to incorporate the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo name drop.

“Our rep John Wilde put a lot of time and energy into this experience and was a huge part of the brainstorming process that brought it all to life,” says Cunningham.

The zoo retailer says the new plush station has been a hit, and guests love the sustainability aspect of it. Cunningham adds that each new Build-An-Ecokin plush is filled with materials that amount to approximately four recycled plastic water bottles, and each eco-friendly plush skin made by Wild Republic are made with materials from approximately 12 recycled plastic water bottles.

There are a few simple steps to Building-An-Ecokin. In just five minutes, zoo guests can pick one of three eco-friendly plush skins made by Wild Republic — a tiger, elephant or gorilla — and use one of two stuffing machines in the store to fill their new souvenir plush.

Cunningham says a retail team member operates the plush stuffing machine while telling them a story of where the materials came from and educating them on how they are making a difference with their new souvenir.

Once the plush is filled, the team member hands the guest an eco-friendly squishable heart-shaped globe and asks them to squeeze the heart while they make a wish for the planet. Then, the guest and team member insert it into the plush. The retail team member then zips the plush shut and hands the plush to the guest, reminding them that every time they snuggle with the plush and feel the heart inside they can remember the difference they made for the planet.

“We created an interactive experience educating the guest of the journey their locally recycled water bottles took by showing them samples of the step-by-step process of turning the water bottle flakes into fiber,” says Cunningham. “We explain the meaning behind the use of the heart globe and let them make a wish for the animals and our planet.”

This new station isn’t just for Earth Day — the zoo gift shop says the new addition is here to stay.

Cunningham adds, “This summer guests will be able to enjoy this new experience in our Specialty Shop, which will be located in the front of the Main Gift Shop.”