Every time we eat a plate of oysters or mussels at a restaurant, what happens to the shell waste? They go straight into landfill. But clever Aussie, Simon Branigan had an idea to redirect shells from landfill, by collecting the shells from seafood wholesalers and restaurants to rebuild lost ecosystems in our oceans.

The shell waste is collected by Geelong Disabled People Industries, then stored and cured for 6-months before being placed back into the ocean along with oyster larvae to grow new shellfish reef habitats.

It’s still early days, but Simon and his team have recycled more than 275 tonnes of shells for reef, repairing damage from the past and protecting coastlines from future coastal erosion. Shuck Don’t Chuck is now starting projects in Hong Kong and around Australia. Simon’s goal is to restore Australian reefs by 30% and take them off the threatened species list. Well done Simon and The Nature Conservancy Australia!

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