Recycled oyster shells are beneficial to the environment, SCDNR says
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (CBS) — Recycling oyster shells can impact much more than just the oysters, and this is why areas of the Lowcountry are working to bring awareness to this act of preserving a natural resource.
According to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), oysters filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, protect our shorelines from storms, and provide habitats for the fish and seafood that we eat.
SCDNR says that oysters play a critical role in our ecology, economy and culture.
Annually, people across the state consume over 300 thousand bushels of oysters, but recycle less than 15% of that.
According to a representative from SCDNR, South Carolina is what they call substrate limited.
This means that we have a very large population of oysters in South Carolina, but we do not have a lot of things in the environment for oysters to attach to, so putting the shells back in the environment provides more locations for them to attach to – increasing the population of oysters and allowing them to continue to be harvested.
SCDNR has ten different drop-off locations in Charleston County for any individual or restaurant owner to bring their shells to.
They also have a recycling program you can join where they will come pick up your shells every Tuesday or Friday.
Cody Potvin with SCDNR says even if you do not eat oysters, recycling oyster shells still impacts you because oysters are a keystone species.
“Most people who don’t eat oysters – maybe they don’t necessarily care about recycling or ensuring that oyster shells are recycled – but if you’re a fisherman, or if you like shrimp, or if you enjoy eating any of the fish species we have off the coast of South Carolina, they’re all dependent upon oysters either as habitat or as a food source.”
Folly Beach, the City of Charleston and Mount Pleasant just released proclamations recognizing a day to honor Oyster Shell Recycling and some plan to do this annually.
Locally, you can find an oyster shell drop-off site closest to you using a map made by the North Carolina Coastal Federation here.
