A waste project could save the shellfish industry £3M and help curb illegal waste disposal, claimed industry body Seafish, which funded the scheme.
Early results have shown that flesh from shellfish waste could be sold as bait for the 'potting' sector, which would stop firms investing in expensive disposal solutions.
"We've got a massive problem with shellfish waste in the UK," said Seafish project manager Michaela Archer. "Most [waste] systems are set up for rendering, which doesn't work with shellfish, so disposing of waste can be [financially] painful. Some firms are using legally compliant measures and others aren't."
Archer explained many firms were effectively being charged three times for waste: once for transport, once for treatment and once for landfill. She claimed struggling firms often reverted to desperate measures.
"There are horror stories of companies housing waste because it is cheaper than disposing of it. One man had 200t of dried shellfish waste in a van for two years!" She said the introduction of the 2003 Animal By-Products Regulation had made disposal more costly.