Oyster recycling efforts continue
Raleigh-area residents will soon have 12 new places to deposit their used oyster shells and help the environment at the same time. The drop-off centers will be the most recent additions to a growing number of spots in North Carolina where the public can help reduce the landfill waste and restore oyster reefs by recycling oyster shells. Oyster shells collected through the program are placed back in North Carolina coastal waters to provide a place for baby oysters to attach and grow. For years, the state has used oyster shells in oyster rehabilitation programs, primarily purchasing the shells from oyster shucking operations. However, as demand for oyster shells has increased, so has the cost. The Oyster Shell Recycling Program started in the fall of 2003 to establish public places where people could donate their shells. The program has grown from collecting 711 bushels of oyster shells in 2003 to more than 32,000 bushels in 2007. More than 86,700 bushels have been collected since the program’s inception. CCA North Carolina’s Jim Hardin and Chris Elkins have been on the forefront of the Oyster Shell Recycling Program and each continues to volunteer his time picking up oyster shells at various sites across the state. CCA NC has also purchased a trailer in which Pitt County restaurants use to haul the oyster shells to each site.
Tags: marine habitat, north carolina oyster recycling, oyster recycling
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