Oyster Shell Recycling Program

Eat oysters, save the coast!

CRCL established the Oyster Shell Recycling Program (OSRP) in 2014 to keep shell out of landfills and slow coastal land loss. In partnership with New Orleans-area restaurants and our legion of volunteers, we collect oyster shells to restore reefs that help protect Louisiana’s eroding coastline. We have recycled over 14 million pounds, of oyster shells from dozens of restaurants in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and four public drop-off locations. With the recycled oyster shells, we have built over 8,000 feet of shoreline along the coast.

• Louisiana produces approximately one-third of the nation's oysters, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service  (NOAA) .
• Oyster shell is the best substrate for enhancing oyster populations, compared to alternatives like concrete or limestone  (De Santiago et al., 2014) .
• Oysters and oyster reefs help improve water quality, provide ideal fishing habitat and support the local economy  (Goeltz et al., 2020) 

Nicknamed "ecosystem engineers," oysters play a crucial role in our coastal communities. They stay busy:

• Keeping our water clean -- a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day.
• Providing necessary habitat -- oyster reefs are great habitat for a variety of animals, including fish, crabs and birds.
• Protecting our coasts -- oyster reefs serve as important buffers to wave action, sea level rise and storm surge.
• Louisiana currently experiences a shell deficit – most shell removed from the coast is not returned. While oyster harvesters, fishing communities and some processors have returned shells to the water for centuries, oysters that are consumed in restaurants often end up in landfills.

But  85% of oyster reefs have been lost globally  -- which makes them the most impacted coastal habitat on this planet. Given this, oyster reef restoration has become an important part of coastal restoration efforts here in Louisiana.

While there are several different types of oyster reef technologies being put to work across our coast, many share the same goals: mitigate storm surge and wave action, provide habitat, encourage land to build and help grow new oysters.

Restaurants can turn their discarded shells into restored oyster reefs by partnering with the OSRP. We contract R&R Recycling to pick up recycled oyster shells from restaurants in the New Orleans area. We contract Coastal Environments, Inc. to service our Baton Rouge-area restaurants. Restaurants report that our program can reduce the frequency and cost of trash pick-ups and keeps kitchen and waste deposit areas cleaner and more organized. People support restaurants that are making a positive impact. The more oyster shells you recycle, the more oysters we can grow to protect our coast. It’s a win-win!

Interested in partnering with OSRP to recycle your restaurant's oyster shells? Click on the button below and fill out the form. Our Oyster Shell Recycling Program Coordinator will reach out to you with more detailed information.

High-quality service: CRCL and our contractors communicate daily with restaurants to guarantee seamless service. We guarantee that our contractors will respond to on-site requests in a timely manner.

Oyster shell recycling tax credit: As of January 1, 2024, all Louisiana restaurants recycling oyster shells will be eligible to receive a tax credit of $1 per 50 pounds of shell, up to $2,000 annually. CRCL provides a detailed report of your restaurant’s’ annual recycling numbers for the credit application.

The Oyster Dish: Receive a quarterly newsletter detailing your shell contribution and providing program updates.

Promotion and Media: Recognition on all relevant CRCL promotional materials and media, including name hyperlinked on the Oyster Shell Recycling Program page on CRCL’s website.

Opportunities: Participate in exclusive promotional activities such as OSRPtv, news articles and media appearances, fundraisers, and more!

In partnership with CRCL,  Chefs Brigad e is committed to the health of our coastal marshes, bayous and bays, and regenerating the once enormous bounty of seafood that came from our waterways.

By committing financial resources to CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program, Chefs Brigade works with our restaurant partners to participate in this program by utilizing once discarded oyster shells from their raw bars and charbroiled dishes and returning the shells back into the waters from whence they came. Chefs Brigade's mission is to connect, organize and educate across food sectors. Their work supports restaurants, chefs, caterers, NGOs and programs that strengthen the future foodscape of our Gulf Coast region.

All restaurant industry members are invited to join Chefs Brigade on Chefs on Boats! This program is a unique and immersive educational experience to gain exposure to Louisiana and other Gulf Coast fisheries. Participants learn about a variety of impacts to the resources required to source our beloved seafood recipes and visit our recycled oyster shell reef in Plaquemines Parish. Visit their website for more information!

To further support our program, recycle your oyster shells at our public drop-off locations in the New Orleans area! We have partnered with  Glass Half Full ,  The Green Project  and the  Audubon Park  to provide a place for community members to drop off the shells they enjoy at home. Drop off your shells to contribute to coastal restoration projects!

Shell collection happens during specific days and times for each location. To see when shell collection is available check out the map below!

When recycling oyster shells please place them into the black and green bins. We ask that only shell should be put in the bin and that no bags or other trash be placed in the bins.

This is where we recycle our oyster shells to undergo a natural curing process for approximately 3 months, allowing any food particles or bacteria to break down before going into the water. Shell piles are regularly turned to help with the curing process.

CRCL’s Restoration Headquarters opened its gates officially in 2021. Located in St. Bernard Parish right along the Violet Canal, CRCL’s Restoration HQ hosts a range of public and group volunteer events to engage the community in coastal restoration efforts. Our Native Plants Nursery is thriving at our HQ - read more  here !

Special thanks to the  Meraux Foundation  for hosting CRCL's Restoration Headquarters! The Meraux Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Arlene Meraux, aims to improve the quality of life in St. Bernard Parish. The foundation's board of directors focuses on several areas, including: land use, education, environment, economic development, arts and culture, and community resilience.

Once cured, the oyster shells are placed into aquaculture grade mesh. To date, we have hosted hundreds of bagging events, involved over 2,000 volunteers and bagged thousands of tons of shell! We are incredibly thankful for the volunteers that have donated their time and hard work to help us so far.

Once bagged, the oyster shells are transported to a restoration site to be placed into the water to create a living shoreline! Volunteers will travel to the site by boat to place bagged oyster shells along the shoreline as instructed by a CRCL staff member. Generally, these events are hosted in early fall for two consecutive weekends.

To date, we have built seven reefs and involved over 7,000 volunteers.

In partnership with local communities and over 2,000 volunteers, CRCL has constructed over 8,000 feet of oyster reef living shoreline protection with our recycled shells. Our reefs create habitat for oysters and other marine life to grow, protecting our coast from erosion, sea-level rise and storm damage while supporting the local seafood industry. We construct one reef per year using the shell we collect through the OSRP. 

All reefs are monitored annually up until five years post installation to assess changes in the shoreline in protects and monitor its growth. We measured that our oyster reefs has reduced shoreline erosion of the bordering marsh by 50% compared to local marsh without protection.

Our oyster biological data is available upon request. In addition, the OSRP is open to collaborating with researchers about our oyster reefs and coastal restoration efforts. For any of these requests, please email the OSRP team at oysters@crcl.org.

A SuperBowl LIX community greening project.

HB255 created Act 404, establishing a tax credit for Louisiana restaurants that recycle their shell for beneficial uses. The credit will allow a reduction in the restaurant’s state tax liability of $1 per 50 pounds of shell recycled, not to exceed $2,000 annually.

The purpose of the bill is to offset part or all of the cost associated with restaurants returning their discarded shell to the water, rather than throwing it in the trash and ultimately in a landfill. This is a simple, cost-effective, sustainable approach to coastal restoration. The program is capped at $100,000 annually and sunsets after five years.

An open resource loop exists in the oyster/restaurant supply chain. Unlike oyster farmers, dealers and processors who have systems in place to return their discarded shell to the water, most restaurants discard their shell in the trash. By recycling shell, we close that loop and return this valuable natural resource to the water, where it has tremendous environmental and ecological benefits.

 CHECK OUT LDWF’S OYSTER SHELL DISPOSITION SURVEY RESULTS 

The tax credit will take effect in the 2024 tax year, which starts on Jan. 1. Restaurants statewide will have the ability to recycle their shell in several different ways, to be determined by the state Department of Revenue in conjunction with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Restaurants will not need to work through CRCL to receive the credit. We envision local municipalities, ports, conservation groups and even the state using this resource to benefit coastal Louisiana. CRCL will share information about implementation of the credit as it becomes available.

You can help save the coast by eating oysters! Patronize the restaurants listed above and be sure to tell them that you appreciate their participation in oyster shell recycling. You can recycle your oyster shells at one of our public shell recycling locations listed above.

Volunteer with CRCL to help bag shell for use in reef restoration projects, or join us on the water for a reef build! Be sure to check out our    calendar    to see when our next volunteer opportunities are. You can also  sign up  to receive emails about upcoming volunteer days and other CRCL events.

If you're interested in organizing a private group event to bag oyster shell, please fill out the form linked below.

We are incredibly thankful to all of our project partners and volunteers that make our work possible!