Don’t be shellfish! Did you know North Carolina has sites where you can drop off oyster shells for recycling? Oysters grow on pilings and concrete but their favorite place is on other shells. A special program puts the shells back into the water. A mound of ‘em helps produce new oysters and provides habitat for other beneficial organisms, such as minnows, algae and crabs. 

The recycling sites also accept other calcium-based shells, including clams, conchs, scallops and mussels. For a list of sites, visit portal.ncdenr.org and put “drop-off locations” in your search.