In Massachusetts, Long Wharf Supply Co has developed a process to convert oyster shells and polyethylene terephthalate bottles into sweaters.
Long Wharf Supply extracts calcium carbonate powder from the shells and processes the powder with pellets from recycled PET. The combination is then extruded into thread that is spun with cotton or lambswool. Roughly speaking, each sweater contains about five oyster shells and 8 plastic bottles.
Founder Mike Lamagna tells Fast Company that the sweaters—dubbed SeaWell—are also safe for people with shellfish allergies. “[T]he shells sit outside for almost a year to discard any enzymes or pathogens from the oysters before they are put into commercial use,” he said.
SeaWell was inspired by Lamagna’s affinity for the ocean, which includes a stint as a commercial lobsterman. “We were taught to never leave the dock without an extra layer because when things change at sea, they change quickly,” he added. “That coastal utility is built into our sweaters, and as people reestablished their relationship with the outdoors during the Covid years, they were in a constant struggle to find something that works as good as it looks.”