As Florida’s Gulf Coast along Manatee County continues to be impacted by red tide, Waste Pro is teaming up with Solutions To Avoid A Red Tide (START).

START is a non-profit organization that focuses on funding research and increasing public awareness about the importance of preserving Florida’s marine environment. Waste Pro is donating bins to restaurants that have also partnered with START to collect shucked oyster shells and deliver them to Perico Preserve. The shells are then placed in a reef to make new oysters, which naturally filter the water.

With the help of Waste Pro, the amount of empty shells being used to combat red tide is expected to rise from 26 tons to 85 tons over the next few months.

Waste Pro is involved in a similar program along Florida’s Atlantic Coast. In 2014, Waste Pro partnered with the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach to help restore oyster habitats on the Indian River Lagoon. More than 50,000 pounds of shells were collected from restaurants in the first year alone.

*For more information on START, visit: https://start1.org
*For more information on the Marine Discovery Center’s oyster recycling program, visit: https://www.marinediscoverycenter.org/conservation/shoreline-restoration/oyster-recycling/