New York City's restaurants are making a significant environmental impact by participating in a unique shell recycling program. Over 300,000 pounds of oyster shells are collected annually from restaurants and sent for reef restoration projects around the New York Harbor. This equates to approximately 800 pounds every day, which are then cleaned, cured, and used as foundations for new oyster reefs. The Billion Oyster Project drives this initiative, aiming to restore New York City's harbor by returning millions of oysters and creating a thriving marine ecosystem. The shell recycling program is part of a larger restoration effort that has already restored 19 acres of reef habitat, with plans to make the reefs increasingly self-sustaining over time. Oyster reefs were once abundant in New York Harbor but were depleted due to urban development, pollution, overfishing, and environmental changes. The restoration project aims to recreate these lost ecosystems and improve water quality by reintroducing oysters to suitable areas of the harbor.