Palm Oil Statement

Colchester Zoo is committed to continuously working to purchase products for our catering and retail facilities which avoid the use of palm oil or use only RSPO certified sustainable palm oil for any new products we introduce. This includes food items, ice creams, sweets and other gift shop products.

What is sustainable palm oil?

Sustainable palm oil is produced in a way that minimizes the environmental impact, safeguards biodiversity and benefits people in the community. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have a set of standards and guidelines that companies comply with to ensure they are producing sustainable palm oil.

We ask for documentation from those who supply our products to confirm the absence of palm oil or the presence of sustainable palm oil if the use is unavoidable. We champion our suppliers and support organisations who are committed to using certified sustainable palm oil in their products. We also hold certification on file to show these products have been verified.

As well as supporting RSPO certified sustainable palm oil ourselves, it is also important that we educate our staff and visitors on the use of sustainable palm oil through our talks and activities within the zoo.