The life of the oyster therefore does not end on the plate… With a thirty bins fundraising this year in the metropolis of Bordeaux, compared to 14 last year, the initiative of the Coquilles association continues to gain momentum. She hopes to harvest at least 5 tonnes of oyster shells, compared to 3.5 tonnes last year and… 260 kg in 2020, the year of the device launch.
Set up just before the end of year celebrations in four municipalities, Bordeaux, Le Bouscat, Le Taillan-Médoc and Saint-Jean-d’Illac, the system will be lifted on January 9. The objective is to save as many shells as possible from the incinerator, to give them a second life. “The shells we collect are valued by farmers after crushing,” explains coordinator Bénédicte Salzes. The oyster shell makes it possible to neutralize the acidity of the soil, instead of lime. At the same time, we are continuing our research on concrete and at the beginning of the year we would like to prototype a bench in shell concrete. It is therefore a material that has several outlets. »
Overflowing bins
Bins are collected twice a week by the Les Détritivores cooperative. “We still have some overflowing bins, this was particularly the case after the two New Year’s Eve, which forces us to organize additional collections, but we manage much better than last year all the same, thanks to the elected officials and the agents who are really part of the operation,” says Bénédicte Salzes.
It will nevertheless certainly be necessary to adjust the system, “because certain ferries work very well like in Nansouty, Saint-Augustin, Gaviniès, but others are less successful, like in Ginko. »
“A deposit of several hundred tons”
Overall, the collection of oyster shells is an initiative that is spreading all over France. “It’s taking well, in Paris and Toulouse for example, confirms Bénédicte Salzes. I think we have put our finger on something that makes sense to many citizens. As soon as we explain that it is still more interesting to recover the shells rather than incinerate them, the majority of people are involved. We have also been contacted by the Brittany region, which is setting up a working group with a view to integrating a collection of shells into the regular collection of household waste. »
In the metropolis of Bordeaux, the challenge for the Coquilles association is now to “convince professionals, because the volumes of fishmongers and restaurants all year round are enormous: we are undoubtedly on a deposit of several hundred tonnes. »
For the next end-of-year celebrations, new municipalities should also join the system. “We’re getting bigger, that’s very good, but at the same time we don’t want to go too fast, we have to go up gradually so as not to find ourselves overwhelmed. »