PROVIDED PHOTO CRCL
Both Joey and I have doe this and dropped off the bags we filled at this site. It is something that all of could do as if me at my age can – anyone can!
It’s prime oyster season, and whether they’re bellying up to the bar at oyster happy hours or serving the bivalve fried on French bread, locals are taking advantage of Louisiana’s status as the nation’s No. 1 oyster-producing state. We consume about 1 million oysters each day, according to The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL). So what happens to all those shells? More than a dozen New Orleans restaurants participate in The CRCL’s oyster shell recycling program. But oyster shells generated elsewhere often wind up in landfills. A new oyster shell recycling program launched by the CRCL and The Green Project (2831 Marais St.) lets locals support coastal restoration and minimize waste. To participate, bring oyster shells to the purple trash bins by The Green Project’s side gate on Marais Street between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Shells collected by the nonprofit will be used to rebuild oyster reef living shorelines, which provide protection against erosion and provide habitats for plants and marine life. The oyster shell recycling program has built more than 7,000 feet of oyster reef living shoreline in Biloxi Marsh, Barataria Bay, Pointe-au-Chien and Adam’s Bay using 10 million pounds of shells since its launch in 2014. “Our vision is that one day all oyster shell passing through local restaurants will be recycled back to the water to support a sustainable coast,” said Kellyn LaCour-Conant, the restoration programs director at CRCL, in a press release. “What a tasty way to give back!”
nola.com
