Resource Center
Shakespeare Predicted This
Well, not exactly, but stay with us. What did Shakespeare know about Alabama and its coastal waters? We can be fairly certain, the answer is – nothing. Alabama didn’t become a state until 1819. That was more than 200 years after his death. But, Shakespeare was quite familiar with the oyster – a modern-day Alabama gem. After all, he brought us the phrase – “The world is your oyster.” Its meaning? The world is yours; make of it what you will.Byline: BTB Editor
September 14, 2017 / Time to read: 5 minWhat did Shakespeare know about Alabama and its coastal waters?
We can be fairly certain, the answer is – nothing. Alabama didn’t become a state until 1819. That was more than 200 years after his death.
But, Shakespeare was quite familiar with the oyster – a modern-day Alabama gem. After all, he brought us the phrase – “The world is your oyster.”
Its meaning? The world is yours; make of it what you will.
In coastal Alabama, Republic Services is channeling Shakespeare in a big way.
How?
By helping turn a great idea into a workable, sustainable program.
Our friends at the Alabama Coastal Foundation, a local non-profit, asked us to help implement Alabama’s first ever Oyster Shell Recycling Program.
Their idea – to help seafood restaurants and their customers understand that what they previously thought was trash is actually a viable natural resource.
Enter Republic. Working with our customers – restaurants, and pubs along the Alabama coast – we customized a solution that’s simple yet durable.
It starts with educational materials for patrons as well as special containers for staff to separate the shells from other food scraps and waste material. Then, we collect the oyster shells three times per week, hauling them to a second location where they undergo a curing process.
Eventually, the repurposed shells are deposited in various locations in Alabama’s two coastal counties, where they become the building blocks of newly restored oyster beds – not to mention a safe habitat for sea animals and natural water break that protects the shoreline.
So, is it working? Indeed – the response has been huge. In just a few months, we’ve returned more than 3 million oyster shells to Alabama coastal waterways.
Shakespeare would have loved this story. And, yes, to some extent we think he predicted it. He taught us that the world is what you make of it.
To us, our customers and community – this program is our oyster.
Learn more about our sustainability leadership in our newly released 2017 Sustainability Report:
