Coca-Cola Consolidated Teammates partnered with the Washington Capitals and Rink2Reef to turn broken hockey sticks into stackable oyster restoration reefs.
Rather than send broken hockey sticks to landfills, Rink2Reef innovated a repurpose solution. Coca-Cola Consolidated volunteers joined Washington Capitals staff at the team’s practice arena and refashioned the broken sticks into habitats for oysters and other subaquatic organisms important to our ecosystem.
The structures are held together by fishing line and create a surface for oyster larvae to attach and grow into mature oysters. With the reefs suspended in the water, growing oysters have access to food passing by, like plankton. These habitats can become home to as many as 400 oysters and other subaquatic life. In addition, every oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, which provides a positive in helping keep our waters clean.
It’s important for us to give back not only to the community but also preserve those opportunities from a water source stand point,” said David Shelek, Mid-Atlantic market unit vice president at Coca-Cola Consolidated.
Learn more about our community efforts here.
