In 2019, New York restaurants turned discarded oyster shells into a unusual plan to rebuild the city’s historic reefs

In 2019, New York restaurants were taking part in an unusual environmental effort: recycling discarded oyster shells for use in rebuilding New York Harbor's historic oyster reefs. The Billion Oyster Project was collecting shells, raising baby oysters and working with students and volunteers as part of its goal to restore 1 billion oysters by 2035.