Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and the Town Board announced that the Town’s shell recycling program, which is completing its inaugural year, has been a tremendous success through partnerships with local restaurants and food vendors. To date, over a dozen local restaurants participate in the program, and more are welcome to join.
“Through is innovative program, the Town seeks partnerships with local restaurants and other entities to collect oyster and clam shells from dinner plates and kitchen preparation tables,” explained Supervisor Saladino. “Town aqua-culturists regularly pickup shells from local partners and deliver them to an environmental curing facility. In just our first year, we’ve collected more than 20,000 pounds of oyster and clam shells, diverted that waste from landfills, and saved restaurants in their carting expenses. Once ready for deposit into waterways, the shells are strategically placed at the bottom of local Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors, helping to strengthen our local marine environment.”
Shellfish are essential mollusks in the local marine environment as they filter water through their feeding mechanisms. A single adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of seawater per day, making shellfish Mother Nature’s most valuable marine cleansers. Studies indicate that by expanding shellfish populations in local harbors we can improve water quality for generations to come. While this program helps the environment, it also helps restauranteurs toward achieving compliance requirements with the New York State Food Donation and Scraps Recycling Law while also reducing waste carting expenses.
Councilwoman Vicki Walsh added, “The Town’s Shell Recycling partner program brings the entire community together to help restore shellfish populations in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbors by providing habitat for shellfish and other marine species, improve water quality, and restoring local food supply. It’s a win-win for the community and our environment and we invite more restaurants to join us today.”
To participate in this initiative or obtain additional information, restaurants should visit www.oysterbaytown.com/shellrecycling, or contact the Town of Oyster Bay Department of Environmental Resources at (516) 677-5943 or via email at environmental@oysterbay-ny.gov.