Environmentally Conscious Oyster Farmers Find Plastic Alternatives
In an effort to use less plastic and remove plastic waste from waterways, environmentally conscious oyster farmers are turning to (and back to, in some cases) wood, metal, cork and even mushrooms to reduce damage to waterways. Modern Farmer interviewed three aquaculture professionals—Abby Barrows of Long Cove Sea Farm, Eric Oransky of Maine Ocean Farms and Jennifer Scappatura Harrington of Rhode Island-based Quonnie Siren Oysters—about their experiments with plastic alternatives from farming to packaging, and discovered that there are many trials in process. Harrington has been testing wooden holding tanks and says it “gives [the oysters] a different flavor, it’s slightly oaky.” Oransky has been working with Austrian company Packnatur to make “wood-based packaging [that’s] 100% compostable and biodegradable.” While there’s plenty more experimenting to be done, these thoughtful farmers are taking the first steps in what could be an industry shift. “These projects are a drop in the bucket, but it gives me hope that the ripple-out affects a broader paradigm shift in our materials,” Barrows tells Modern Farmer. Read more there.
Image courtesy of Modern Farmer
Via modernfarmer.com link opens in a new window
