Oysters shells

Brighton, United Kingdom

Type of waste: agricultural

Oysters are often referred to as the “vacuum cleaners” of the sea, they filter water daily. However, growing oysters has a second facet: over 7 million tons of mollusk shells are discarded by the seafood industry every year. Just one restaurant found in Brighton, ‘English’s of Brighton’, throws away over 50,000 oyster shells annually!

Ostra: Biogun

The Ostra:Biogun uses oyster shells as a base material to create a ceramic biomaterial, taking advantage of their high calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content. Using the BioGun, a hand-made extruder developed by Markous Gregoriu, crushed oyster shells are molded together with other organic waste into functional shapes.