SCDNR SCORE

We provide a free service of recycling oyster shell from restaurants who would otherwise be tossing the shell in the trash. Restaurants are provided with receptacles for their shell, and volunteers replace full bins with empty ones on a weekly basis and then empty the shell bins at the public drop-off site.. Receptacles are either the 35 gallon blue recycling bins or 6 gallon buckets for those restaurants with limited space or low shell volume. SCDNR has provided a small equipment trailer to haul the 35 gallon receptacles. The 6 gallon buckets are lidded and sealed and can be placed inside the vehicle.

We are looking to grow our oyster shell recycling volunteer teams in Greenville, Charleston, Columbia, and Beaufort.  This is a COVID friendly volunteer opportunity, because you are not required to be in contact with anyone to participate and sanitation supplies is provided! 

South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement (SCORE) is a community-based habitat restoration and monitoring program of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Oysters are critical to South Carolina’s ecology, economy, and culture, and oyster shell is the best resource to sustain oyster populations. Recycled shell is placed back onto the shoreline either during large scale plantings or volunteer-based oyster reef builds. The shell provides a hard substrate for oyster larvae to land, cement, and grow on. It is the most efficient way to sustain SC oyster populations!