FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2025
Don't Chuck the Shuck this Holiday Season!
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – 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.
Do you work for a restaurant that might want to participate? Please contact RSWA at wkern@rivanna.org 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/
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The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority & Solid Waste Authority’s mission is to serve the Charlottesville, Albemarle, and UVA communities by providing high-quality water and wastewater treatment, refuse, and recycling services in a financially responsible and sustainable manner.
The Rivanna Solid Waste Authority oversees three recycling and disposal centers in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Residents are encouraged to use these facilities as they are needed.
The Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center is located at 4576 Dick Woods Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903. The facility accepts municipal solid waste from private citizens and collection vehicles servicing Charlottesville and Albemarle. Accepted wastes include: construction debris, demolition debris, bagged trash (Tag-a-Bag), grindable vegetative materials, clean fill materials, tires, appliances, large bulk items, and paint. Accepted recyclables include plastic films, aluminum beverage cans, newsprint, mixed metals, office paper, glass, #1 plastic containers, #2 plastic containers, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, antifreeze, motor oil, and compostable food waste. Regular business hours are Monday through Saturday from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Please visit Rivanna Solid Waste Authority’s service fees webpage for a current list of dumping fees. Tag-a-Bag stickers can be purchased by mail and/or at the scales.
The McIntire Recycling Center is located at 611 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902. The facility accepts recyclable materials. Accepted materials include: aluminum beverage cans, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, plastic films, #1 plastic containers, #2 plastic containers, office paper, glass, newsprint, mixed metals, compostable food waste, oyster shells, pizza boxes, and used cooking oil. Regular business hours are Wednesday through Monday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The facility is closed on Tuesdays.
The Southern Albemarle Convenience Center is located at 6269 Esmont Road, Keene, VA 22946. The facility accepts recyclable materials and bagged trash (Tag-a-Bag). Accepted materials include plastic films, aluminum beverage cans, newsprint, mixed metals, office paper, glass, #1 plastic containers, #2 plastic containers, mixed paper, and corrugated cardboard. Tag-a-Bag stickers can be purchased by mail, at Green Mountain Country Store, 5977 Scottsville Road, Scottsville, VA and/or at Brown’s Market, 2724 Irish Road, Esmont, VA. Regular business hours are Friday through Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The facility is closed on Thursdays.
Media Contact
Westley Kern
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Rivanna Solid Waste Authority
434-977-2970, ext. 117
WKern@rivanna.org