19 tons of oyster shells in 7 months. Pittsburgh restaurants are rebuilding coastal oyster habitats through innovative recycling.

“ORP is a nonprofit working to bring back native oyster populations across Maryland and Virginia. A key part of their work is repurposing used oyster shells from restaurants and using them to serve as the habitat for dozens of microscopic oyster larvae, which are then reintroduced to their natural habitats once they’ve come of age.

That’s where Pittsburgh foodies come in. Last November, our city became ORP’s first partner outside the Chesapeake region, with three local restaurants signing agreements to save their shells for the oyster gardens of Maryland and Northern Virginia. With the help of Sustainable Pittsburgh, six of our leading restaurants eventually joined the cause.”

FULL STORY published May 28, 2019 via NEXTpittsburgh