The Hampton Roads Shell Recycling Program is a partnership among the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), restaurants, communities, and dedicated volunteers with a goal of restoring oyster habitat in Hampton Roads waterways.

Baby oysters begin life as free-floating larvae but quickly settle to the bottom and attach themselves to hard surfaces, which is why you see oysters growing in clumps on pilings and concrete. However, their preferred place to grow is on other shells. Unfortunately, many of the tributaries in Virginia lack enough shell for baby oysters to find.  CBF is working with local partners to help Hampton Roads individuals and businesses collect oyster and clam shells and place them overboard to help turn the tide on declining oyster stocks. Lynnhaven River 2007, the City of Virginia Beach and CBF saw promising community support of a pilot shell recycling program in Virginia Beach last summer and will be resuming the expanding program in January. With the help of NOAA-Restore America's Estuaries, CBF is expanding the shell recycling program to the Norfolk and Williamsburg areas.  Restaurants and citizen drop-off locations will have designated buckets and outdoor bins. The contents of these containers will be collected twice per week and taken to a centralized storage location to cure, a process of drying and cleansing of bacteria. After four to six months, these shells are used in restoration projects, such as building oyster reefs or constructing a living shoreline in the Lynnhaven, Lafayette and Elizabeth Rivers.

 Program Partners      Participating Restaurants     Photo Gallery     Drop-off Locations

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