This presentation discusses how to begin an oyster shell recycling project. It contains lessons learned from our experience as well as contacts to other programs.

1. Oyster Shell Recycling
Starting a Program
The Massachusetts Oyster Project for Clean Water
An oyster filters 30 gallons of water per day.
www.massoyster.org

2. Introduction
• The Oyster Project is getting increasing numbers
of questions about oyster shell recycling.
• We believe that this can be a valuable part of an
oyster restoration program as it enhances
success rates.
• It also offers ancillary benefits
– Raising visibility
– Generating good will
– Garnering broader citizen participation
– Bringing oyster eaters closer to oyster production
– Creating opportunities for volunteers to get involved.

3. Oyster Shell Recycling Benefits
• Reduces waste volume going to land fills
• Returns shell to the waters
– Create substrate for spat settlement
– Create structure for other fish
• Over 200 other species will live in a reef.
– Offset ocean acidification on a local level
• Allows restaurants and events to be
“Greener”

4. Getting Started
• First, talk to your local Division of Marine
Fisheries or Shellfish regulatory
authorities.
– They may have restrictions
• Aging of the shell
• Locations for placement
• How it is used
– Shells can carry shellfish diseases
• MSX, Dermo

5. Oyster Presence
• If you have existing oysters, then placing shell
will give a spot for young free-floating oyster
spat to settle.
• If you don’t have existing oysters or spat in your
waters your shell may still be used as part of a
reef restoration.
– A substrate layer beneath the reef
– Placed in netted bags for spat to adhere to at a
hatchery.
– Those bags are then placed on a layer of substrate
on the bottom.

6. Start Small
• This is 1/3 of the
oysters from a one day
restaurant event.
• Collection could be
managed by two
people.
• The oysters could be
transported in a station
wagon-but note that a
pick-up truck is a better
idea.
We started small with shell from our own events and responded affirmatively
when others asked us to take their shell.

7. Collecting Shell at Events
• Five gallon buckets work well.
• Mark them with signage
– Oyster shells only for recycling
• They can be carried
– Not too heavy
– Built in handle
– Transfer the oysters to plastic garbage cans
in a pick-up truck

8. Shells From the Two-Day Wellfleet
Festival
• Teams of people
worked collecting this
throughout the
festival.
• Since it was all local
and many shells had
living spat on them,
the shell was
promptly returned to
the sea.

9. Here we are placing the oysters in
mesh bags.
• The mesh is cut in
three foot lengths.
• One end is tied in an
overhand knot.
• The mesh is placed
over the lower end of
the PCV pipe.
• Shell is poured in.
• Once full the top end
is tied off.
Netting can be easily and cheaply obtained through Atlantic Aquaculture at
(401) 247-1661.

10. Here is a young environmentalist
with our bagged shell.

11. Bagged Oysters Awaiting Spat
Placement

12. Aging the Shell- Minimizing Odor-
• Curt Felix taught me this new process that
worked well enough to use it in an urban
backyard without offending the neighbors.
• Use black rubber trash cans
– Drill numerous holes in the bottom ½ inch in diameter.
– Fill the bucket with oysters
– Place the trash can in the sun. It will become quite hot
and dry the shells.
• After three weeks
– Open the can
– Place shell in open air to dry.
– We use milk crates for drying.
If you are in a rural area you may not need to use the
crates for drying, but can simply stack them in piles. A
town land fill may be a good site.

13. Open air pile of clam shell

14. Bulk Shell Placement

15. Bulk Shell Placement Device
Some will barge them to the location and then rinse them off the barge with
hoses. Others will manually shovel the shell overboard.

16. Oyster Shell at Home
• If you shuck your own oysters at home,
the shells can be useful in your garden
– As a layer of mulch
– Mixed in with compost
• The calcium carbonate in them will help
neutralize acidic soil.

17. Economics
• Donations may be eligible for a tax credit
of approximatley half the retail value of the
donation.
• Aged shell goes for $600 per cubic yard
for driveways. Or $15 per 5 gallon bucket.
• A donation credit of $7.50 per bucket is
not unreasonable.
• We are cross-checking this vlaue with a
contract put out by the government.

18. Oyster Shell Recycling Programs
• North Carolina’s Division of Marine
Fisheries has an impressive program.
– Public drop-off locations
– Tax benefit ($1 per bushel)
– Website http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/oyster-shell-recycling-program
• List of Participating Restaurants
• Rationale for Participation

19. Oyster Shell Recycling Programs
• South Carolina also has an fine state run
program.
– Website http://score.dnr.sc.gov/deep.php?subject=6&topic=1
• Public drop-off sites
• Support of non-state programs
• List of participating restaurants
– Track record of restoring 400 reefs at 40 sites
with 26,000 bushels of shell since 2001.

20. Oyster Shell Recycling Programs
• Massachusetts- Martha’s Vineyard
Shellfish Group
– Website http://mvshellfishgroup.org/
– Active program collecting from restaurants
• Wellfleet
– Oyster shell from the Annual Festival is
recycled. The oyster comes from there so it is
easy to promptly return the shell to the
Harbor.

21. This is intended to be a living
document. If you have suggestions
or comments-
Please feel free to Email
massoyster@gmail.com