Perspectives on Oyster Shell Recycling
Survey Results
Response Rate: The survey was distributed to 123 people and 84 people responded, generating a response rate of 68%.
Demographics:
A majority of respondents live in the Gulf of Mexico Coast region, and the second largest group of respondents live in the Non-Coastal West South Central region. No respondents lived in Hawaii or Alaska, therefore, these regions were not included in Figure 1. Proximity to the coast was not associated with increased awareness of oyster shell recycling benefits.
​Q1: Please click the region you are from (if multiple, select the one that you spend the most time in).
Figure 1. Distribution of survey respondents by region. The Gulf of Mexico Coast region was the most commonly selected, with 59 respondents selecting this region.
United States of America map, overlayed with survey regions
Figure 2. Map of the United States showing regional divisions used in the survey. Each region is labeled to indicate its geographic boundaries.
Table 1. Relationship between respondents' distance from the coast and their agreement with the statement "I am aware of the restoration benefits of oyster shell recycling." Although we hypothesized that coastal residents would be more aware, there was not a statistically significant significant relationship (p=0.20).
Typologies:
By asking respondents to rate the importance of various coastal uses, we indirectly gathered data on natural resource typologies. We found that Kellert's ecologistic typology was very common among respondents, as the majority ranked "Ecological balance" as extremely important. The naturalistic typology was also common, as many respondents rated "Recreation" and "Fisheries" as being moderately, very, or extremely important.
Q16: Please indicate how important each of the following coastal uses is to you.
Figure 3. Distribution of how respondents ranked the importance of six coastal uses.
Table 2. Relationship between agreement with the statement "I want oyster shells to be recycled" and ranking of the importance of "Recreation" as a coastal use. This relationship was statistically significant (p<0.05).
Typologies and oyster shell recycling:
Respondents who ranked "Recreation" as more important were more likely to agree with the statement "I want oyster shells to be recycled" while respondents who ranked "Fisheries" as slightly important were less likely to eat at a restaurant that recycles used shells. Overall, Naturalistic typology respondents (indicated by ranking "Recreation" and "Fisheries" as important) showed more support for oyster shell recycling.
Table 3. Relationship between respondents' likelihood to eat at an oyster restaurant that recycles their used shells and their ranking of the importance of "Fisheries" as a coastal use. This relationship was significant (p<0.05).
Recreation:
Most respondents participate in outdoor recreation, and reported engaging in a diverse array of activities. We hypothesized that people who engage in outdoor recreation would be more likely to participate in oyster shell recycling, however, the data did not support this hypothesis.
Q12 : Do you engage in outdoor recreational activities? (hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, etc.)
Q13: Which outdoor recreation activities do you engage in? Check all that apply.
Figure 4. Pie chart showing that the majority of respondents answered "Yes" when asked whether they engage in any outdoor recreation activities.
Figure 5. Responses to "Which outdoor recreation activities do you engage in?" Hiking was the most popular activity, while rock climbing was the least popular among survey respondents.
Table 4. Relationship between respondents' engagement in any outdoor recreation activities and their likelihood to eat at a restaurant that recycles their used shells. This relationship was not statistically significant (p=0.27).
Q4: Do you eat oysters?
Oyster consumption habits:
When asked whether or not they consume oysters, the majority of respondents indicated "yes" or "sometimes", while approximately one-third indicated they do not eat oysters. Oyster consumers were more aware of the benefits of oyster shell recycling compared to non-consumers, however, support for oyster shell recycling was similar between the two groups.
Figure 6. Pie chart with responses to the question "Do you eat oysters?"
Table 5. Relationship between respondents' oyster consumption habits and their agreement with the statement "I am aware of the restoration benefits of oyster shell recycling." Respondents who do not consume oysters were more likely to report a lack of awareness of the restoration benefits of oyster shell recycling, as indicated by the "strongly disagree" responses. This was a statistically significant relationship (p<0.05).
Table 6. Relationship between respondents' oyster consumption habits and their likelihood of dining at an oyster restaurant that recycles its shells. This relationship was not statistically significant overall (p = 0.13), suggesting similar likelihoods between oyster consumers and non-consumers.
Q14: Do you recycle materials like paper, plastic, or glass?
At-home recycling and oyster shell recycling:
When asked if they recycle other materials such as paper, plastic, or glass, most respondents indicated "yes" or "sometimes," and only seven respondents said "no." Statistical analysis supported our hypothesis that people who recycle at home are more likely to support oyster shell recycling.
Figure 7. Pie chart with responses to the question "Do you recycle materials like paper, plastic, or glass?"
Table 7. Relationship between respondents' recycling habits and their likelihood of dining at an oyster restaurant that recycles its shells. Results indicate that people who recycle other materials were more likely to eat at a restaurant that recycles oyster shells, and this relationship was statistically significant (p<0.05).
Barriers to oyster shell recycling:
When asked about barriers to recycling oyster shells, the majority of respondents identified lack of awareness as a barrier. Specifically, 55% of respondents indicated they were unaware of oyster shell recycling in general, and 54% reported not knowing where to recycle oyster shells. While oyster consumers demonstrated greater awareness of the benefits of oyster shell recycling, overall awareness is a challenge for this form of recycling.​
Q11: If you want oyster shells to be recycled more often, what factors prevent you from participating in oyster shell recycling? (Select all that apply)
Figure 8. Barriers to participating in oyster shell recycling, as reported by survey respondents. The most common barriers were lack of knowledge (46 out of 84 respondents) about oyster shell recycling and lack of knowledge about where to recycle oyster shells (45 out of 84 respondents).
Image credits: All figures and tables on this page are mine, created using qualtrics.com