Wash for Wildlife campaign

You can help wildlife such as the Platypus by using phosphate-free cleaning products.

Many household cleaning products contain phosphates which can cause nuisance algae growth in waterways, threatening wildlife from tiny invertebrates to the iconic Platypus.

Zoos Victoria’s Wash for Wildlife campaign is encouraging the community’s switch to phosphate-free cleaning products.

What’s the story?

Many household cleaning products contain phosphates, more than 450 tonnes of which end up down our drains and in our local waterways each week. Excessive phosphate levels in water cause significant algae growth, choke waterways and threaten wildlife from tiny invertebrates to the iconic Platypus. In 1993 America phased out phosphates in all laundry products in response to environmental concerns and Zoos Victoria is committed to ensuring that Australia follows suit.   

Campaign objectives

• Create awareness around the impact of phosphates on wildlife and the health of waterways
• Encourage at least 30,000 households to make the switch to phosphate-free cleaning products in one year
• Raise the profile of native Australian species such as the Platypus
• Demonstrate the influence conservation sensitive consumers can have on manufacturers and market choice.

Facilitating conservation action

Zoos Victoria is connecting our visitors with Wash for Wildlife through daily presentations delivered by engaging staff members. Research indicates that the vast majority of people feel it is important that their words match their actions. The best way to do this is to get people to pledge a public commitment to take action. Visitors on site at Melbourne Zoo are encouraged to write a public pledge to switch to phosphate-free cleaning products.

Achievements

Zoos Victoria is currently in the process of collecting data to assess attitudes and behaviour change onsite at Melbourne Zoo. Since the campaign began at the end of 2011 thousands of visitors have made the pledge to switch to phosphate-free cleaning products.

Fortunately Wash for Wildlife is being promoted at a time when large companies are already in the process of becoming phosphate-free and supermarkets are increasingly supporting a greener laundry solution.

Program partners / collaborators & supporters

Aware Environmental