Charlottesville, VA… December 3, 2025… The Rivanna Solid Waste Authority (RSWA) is reminding residents and restaurants about the FREE oyster shell recycling program available at the McIntire Recycling Center. This local initiative supports the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling and Restoration Program (VOSRP), led by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Through the program, shells that would otherwise be destined for landfills are collected from communities across the state and returned to restoration sites in the Chesapeake Bay.
Why recycle oyster shells?
The wild Eastern Oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay has fallen to just one to two percent of its historic peak. Recycled shells help rebuild oyster reefs, creating essential habitats for blue crabs, striped bass, and red drum, while also helping reduce storm-driven shoreline erosion. Oysters serve as efficient natural filters, capable of cleaning up to 50 gallons of water per day by filtering out sediment and plankton.
Charlottesville is one of several participating communities. Other localities include Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Northern Virginia, the Middle Peninsula, and the Northern Neck.
Together, these partners help the program collect nearly 125,000 pounds of shells annually. The shells are aged at the VCU Rice Rivers Center, then seeded with juvenile oysters before being returned to the bay.
RSWA has participated in the program since 2019. Residents and restaurants can drop off saved oyster shells at the McIntire Recycling Center, 611 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. Once a year, the collected shells are bagged and transported for seeding.
Volunteers organized by United Way help bag oysters shells at Rivanna Solid Waste Authority’s facility. This video highlights 2025’s efforts when volunteers from Brown Advisory assisted with the bagging efforts.
Do you work for a restaurant that might want to participate?
Please contact us to find out how to join this program at no cost.
More information about RSWA’s oyster collection efforts can be found online at https://rivannasolidwaste.org/oyster-shell-recycling-at-mcintire-recycling-center/