This Earth Day, consider that oyster shell is an increasingly limited but mission critical resource for Chesapeake Bay recovery efforts. The easiest thing that you can do to help ORP restore the Bay is eat oysters at restaurants that shell recycle. ORP’s Shell Recycling Alliance is made up of nearly 200 businesses that are committed to sustainable practices. Join us in thanking them for the extra effort by dining with them! See the list.
Top Ten Shell Recycling Alliance Contributors
These spots serve a LOT of oysters – and make a big contribution to oyster restoration – so we’re shouting them out and thanking them for all they do to make a difference.
- Jessie Taylor Seafood (Washington, D.C.) – 1,491 bushels of shell
- True Chesapeake Oyster Co. (Baltimore, MD) – 1,258 bushels
- King Street Oyster Bar (Washington, D.C.) – 1,080 bushels
- King Street Oyster Bar (Potomac, MD) – 967 bushels
- Old Ebbitt Grill (Washington, D.C.) – 799 bushels
- Boatyard Bar & Grill (Annapolis, MD) – 777 bushels
- McGarvey’s Saloon & Oyster Bar (Annapolis, MD) – 614 bushels
- The Salt Line (Washington, D.C.) – 613 bushels
- Ryleigh’s Oyster (Lutherville-Timonium, MD) – 602 bushels
- Whiskey & Oyster (Recently closed – thanks for years of partnership!) – 556 bushels
“The Boatyard Bar & Grill sells a huge amount of oysters. It makes so much sense to recycle the oysters to the ORP to be used for baby oyster spat on shell planting into the Bay,” said Dick Franyo, Owner of Boatyard Bar & Grill. “We recycle everything — even our food scraps for fertilizer. The healthier the Bay’s oyster population is, the healthier the Bay. The healthier the Bay, the better our business is. It’s a win-win and a no brainer for both. We have always been proud to be a partner with ORP.”
The Impact of Shell Recycling
ORP’s shell recycling efforts have kept 12,600 tons of shell out of area landfills, saved local businesses approximately $1,000,000 in waste collection fees, and provided enough substrate to support the planting of up to 1.8 billion spat-on-shell in local waters.
“Last year, ORP’s Shell Recycling Alliance recovered approximately 27,747.7 bushels of shells, bringing the grand total to over 366,000 bushels recycled since the program’s inception in 2010,” said Tommy Price, ORP’s Shell Recycling Manager. “This volume is enough shell to fill over ten Olympic-sized swimming pools. With the demand for shells growing, we greatly appreciate each member’s contributions. They make a huge difference in our restoration efforts.”
Why It Matters
Oysters do more than just taste good. They actively improve water quality by filtering the Bay, create habitat for fish, crabs, and other marine life, and support local economies across the region. And it all starts with shell.
Each recycled shell can become home to 10+ juvenile oysters. After collection, shells are aged, cleaned, and set with spat at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Laboratory. From there, they are planted on carefully selected reefs throughout the Chesapeake Bay.
To date, ORP has planted more than 14.5 billion oysters across over 3,000 acres of habitat in Maryland waters. The program is the nation’s largest, with nearly 200 member businesses in the DMV and 70 public shell drop sites.
Good for the Bay. Good for local businesses. And worth celebrating this Earth Day and beyond!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Allison Albert Guercio, Marketing & Fundraising Director, 410.990.4970 x1016