Restaurant Shell Recycling
Recycling oyster shells in restaurants is a crucial step toward our goal of growing 5 million oysters over the next five years. Recycled shells provide a natural substrate for baby oysters, known as spat, to attach themselves, similar to what they would do on a natural oyster reef. This not only offers some protection but also allows volunteers like you to handle and track the oysters more easily!
As we strive to plant 5 million oysters, the support of restaurants in collecting and recycling oyster shells becomes even more crucial. Oyster Recovery Partnership’s Shell Recycling Alliance works with restaurants in Baltimore to use these shells to support restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. Your love for oysters plays a vital role in this effort—by enjoying oysters at your favorite restaurants, you help ensure that the shells can be recycled and contribute to the growth of our oyster populations.
Support Shell Recovery
One of the easiest ways to contribute to the restoration of the native oyster population is by enjoying oysters from shuck-friendly restaurants and ensuring their shells are recycled. Instead of ending up in landfills, these shells can be collected, cleaned, and repurposed by being seeded with baby oysters. Oyster Recovery Partnership’s Shell Recycling Alliance collects oyster shells from participating restaurants to support larger restoration projects in the Chesapeake Bay.
Next time you go out for oysters in Baltimore, ask whether the restaurant participates in shell recycling. Then your choice won’t just taste good- it will support a sustainable cycle in our waterways!
Transforming Your Oyster Platter into an Oyster Condo!
Oyster shells are the best material for rebuilding oyster reefs, and their scarcity only highlights their importance. Eating oysters can actively contribute to growing the population, as recycled shells play a crucial role in restoration.
During their early weeks, oysters are particularly vulnerable, and larvae require a hard surface, or substrate, to attach for survival. In their natural environment, they instinctively latch onto other oysters, creating that beneficial clump effect.
When Oyster Recovery Partnership’s Shell Recycling Alliance collects these shells, they become home for new baby oysters (known as spat). One recycled oyster shell can host over 10 spat! So next time you want to order oysters, find a restaurant who recycles- your plate will become habitat for new oysters in the bay!
Eat at Participating Oyster Shell Recovery Restaurants in the Waterfront District
These restaurants participate in Oyster Recovery Partnership’s
Shell Recycling Alliance
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