Oyster Shell Recycling 

If you were asked to list items you can recycle, you’d probably say things like plastic, paper, cardboard, and metal. Did you know you could add oyster shells to the list too?

Galveston Bay Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program works with restaurants throughout Galveston, Clear Lake and Houston to collect used oyster shells. The shells are cured in the sun for up to nine months before being used in habitat restoration projects around Galveston Bay.

Moody Gardens partners with the Galveston Bay Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program. Shells collected from restaurants in Galveston are brought to Moody Gardens for the curing process. There are four piles in the West Lot. New shells are added to the “Active” piles. Piles labeled “Curing” sit in the sun up to nine months before they are ready to be used. The “Cured” pile is clean and ready to be used.

Several times a week, Greg Whittaker, our Animal Husbandry Manager, makes shell runs to collect the used shells. The participating restaurants, including those at Moody Gardens, leave used shells in 5-gallon buckets. A full bucket averages 36 pounds of shell. During tourist season, as many as 40 buckets are collected in one trip! The shells are dumped in the “Active” pile and the buckets are cleaned for the next run. Since 2020, over 100 tons of oyster shell have been collected and cured at Moody Gardens!

You may be wondering what the benefits are to recycling oyster shell. Young oysters, known as spat, are free floating. They need a hard surface to attach to and grow. Old oyster shells make the perfect habitat for them. Adding old shells back to the habitat provide space for them to settle and create oyster reefs. It also keeps all those shells out of the landfill.

If you’re interested in getting involved in oyster shell recycling, email Jennifer at jlamm@moodygardens.org.

To learn more about the program, you can visit Galveston Bay Foundation at galvbay.org