YARMOUTH – As the Massachusetts Oyster Project (MOP) kicks off its 2024 restaurant oyster shell recycling program, the nonprofit has announced that for the first time, residents and tourists can bring their shucked oysters to be dropped off at a pair of designated public sites in Yarmouth.
Oysters dropped off for recycling will aid the MOP in restoring oyster beds along the state’s shoreline, where they can act as protective barriers and low-profile reefs, promoting biodiversity, coastal resilience, and oyster growth.
“We’re excited to continue and expand this program, which is a key part of our mission to restore the beaches and shores of Massachusetts,” said Liv Woods, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Oyster Project.
“We are working with local partners to keep oyster shells out of landfills,” she said. “At the end of the day, these shells will help build oyster beds along the shores of Massachusetts.”
The public drop-off locations are located at the Englewood Boat Ramp at 26 New Hampshire Ave in West Yarmouth and at Wilbur Park at 440 Highbank Road in South Yarmouth.
Those dropping off shells are asked to lightly rinse their shells before drop-off and to separate trash items such as napkins, which will not be accepted.
This year a total of 22 local restaurants have signed on to the growing program, which now enters its third year.
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