As Greenville's restaurant scene grows, so does the opportunity to recycle oyster shells, one of the state's precious natural resources.
Cans, cardboard, plastic ... oyster shells? Yep, that hard exterior is apparently a valuable resource, one that is so valuable the state's department of natural resources is ramping up efforts to collect them.
And while efforts have been afoot for some time on the coast and in the Lowcountry, the need for oyster shells, along with the growth of the Upstate's restaurant scene, has offered new avenues for collection.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources oyster shell recycling program has launched a new targeted program in Greenville. Thus far, the program is only collecting from one Upstate restaurant, Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar, but the agency is taking steps to collect from more. But first, they need volunteers to pick up the shells.
Unlike the aforementioned recyclable items, oyster shells require a different process and level of care, and since there is not yet an infrastructure for collecting them in this part of the state, the Department of Natural Resources relies on the kindness of a few individual volunteers.
"Most shells that aren't near the coast, because people don't know about the program, they end up in a landfill, or in somebody's driveway or for windchimes or jewelry," says Trent Austin, an SCDNR biologist, who oversees the oyster shell restaurant recycling program.
Oyster shells help breed more oysters. Essentially, says Austin, the shells create a perfect hard surface onto which juvenile oysters (called spat) can attach and then grow. This is particularly valuable on the plough mud-filled South Carolina coastline, where the soft mud leaves little place where oysters can attach.
"By planting a shell, there is a peptide in there the juvenile oysters are attracted to, and so they are able to find their way to the oyster shell and land on there and start growing and start building that reef," Austin says.
Since partnering with Shuckin Shack in mid-February, the SCDNR is on track to collect an average of 750 bushels in one year, thanks in large part to volunteers from the Upstate Master Naturalists. In total, the department collected about 31,000 bushels last year. These are shells that would otherwise likely end up in landfills, that are now going to do something good, Austin says.
Plans call for getting a solid volunteer base and then taking the program to local restaurants throughout the Upstate. Once in place, volunteers will collect shells, and deliver them to a holding facility at Renewable Water Resources. There are also plans to offer a collection site for individuals a swell, Austin says.
For more information on the oyster shell recycling program, or on how to become a volunteer, contact Trent Austin at austinm@dnr.sc.gov or 843-953-1367.