Oyster Shell Recycling

 In partnership with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), Bourbon House recycles their oyster shells. Bourbon House, along with other local restaurants, has recycled more than 4.6 million pounds of oyster shells over the past two years, making it the largest oyster recycling program in the nation.

Bourbon House alone has recycled 334.44 tons of shell, which equates to over 2,000 feet of new oyster reef.

Using these recycled oyster shells, the first of many new oyster reefs has just gone into the Gulf. The new reef is nearly a half mile long and stretches through the Biloxi marsh. It will serve to protect the shoreline from erosion, allow sediment to build behind the reef and provide habitat for new oysters and other marsh species. 

This is a dream come true for Bourbon House owner, Dickie Brennan. Growing up in the Brennan restaurant family, his father, Dick Brennan always stressed to him the importance to leave things better than you found them. Frustration built over the years with him seeing tons and tons of oyster shells discarded into trash bins at his restaurants. He knew there had to be a better way. It wasn't until a grant came through to the CRCL, that oyster recycling became a reality in New Orleans. "We're honored to have been part of this program from the very conception and are proud of the small part we're playing in restoring our coastline. We look forward to continue recycling our oysters and growing our positive impact to the environment." says Dickie Brennan.