Save Oyster Shells

Oyster shells are literally the foundation of our reef restoration efforts! The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) needs your help–and your oyster shells–to restore native oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. Recycle your empty shells by dropping them off at the locations below so we can repopulate the Bay with more oysters.

Oyster shells are becoming increasingly scarce. Through the Save Oyster Shells recycling program, shells that would typically be thrown away are saved and used in a variety of oyster restoration projects.

We turn 2,000 bushels of recycled oyster shells each year into habitat for millions of oysters planted in the Bay and its rivers. Once the recycled shells are cleaned and cured, CBF places them in huge water tanks containing millions of microscopic oyster larvae, which then attach to the shells. On average, each recycled shell can become home to dozens of those baby oysters, called spat. CBF provides the spat-on-shell to its oyster gardeners and plants them in rivers and the Bay to grow and expand oyster reefs.

Maryland Shell Drop-off Locations
and Participating Restaurants

Drop-off Locations | Restaurants

Drop-off Locations

There are several public shell recycling drop-off locations across Maryland. If you are interested in hosting a shell-recycling bin, contact Dan Johannes at djohannes@cbf.org or 443-482-2174.

Participating Restaurants

The following restaurants also participate in the Save Oyster Shells program:

To learn more about CBF's oyster recycling partners in Maryland please visit the Oyster Recovery Partnership.

To learn more about how you can become involved in the oyster shell recycling program please contact Dan Johannes at djohannes@cbf.org or 443-482-2174.

More Ways to Help

• CBF also collects shells from oyster roasts and seafood festivals. Contact us ahead of time and we can provide bins and signage to minimize shells mixing with other refuse.
• Drop off used shell at a public shell recycling bin.
• Become a volunteer and help collect shells from participating restaurants and oyster roasts.
• Volunteer at the Maryland Oyster Restoration Center.
• Become a Maryland oyster gardener.

Virginia Shell Drop-off Locations

Drop-off Locations

Drop-off Locations

There are several public shell recycling drop-off locations across Virginia. If you are interested in hosting a shell-recycling bin, contact CBF's oyster restoration office at 757-644-4125.

More Ways to Help

• CBF also collects shells from oyster roasts and seafood festivals. Contact us ahead of time and we can provide bins and signage to minimize shells mixing with other refuse.
• Drop off used shell at one of the public shell recycling bins listed above.
• Become a volunteer and help collect shells from participating restaurants and oyster roasts.
• Volunteer at the Virginia Oyster Restoration center to clean and bag shells.
• Become a Virginia oyster gardener.

To participate or for more program information, contact Jackie Shannon at jshannon@cbf.org or 804-832-8804.

Partners and Funders

Expansion of oyster shell recycling across the state is supported by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund, funded by the sale of Chesapeake Bay license plates. Shell collection in Norfolk is supported by Keep Norfolk Beautiful and Norfolk Waste Management. There are many other entities in Virginia that collect oyster shell and make restoration possible, including the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program (VOSRP) at Virginia Commonwealth University's Rice Rivers Center and Lynnhaven River NOW. Learn more about their efforts and support them as they make use of this precious resource.