Shellf Life transforms shellfish scraps from restaurants into building materials

While shells of clams, oysters, mussels and abalone might be a common sight at the end of a seafood dinner, these leftovers are not necessarily destined for the trash can.

Shellf Life, a sustainability startup founded by RISD alum Felicia Neuhof, transforms shellfish waste from local restaurants into regenerative building materials that can be used for tiles, tableware and even light shades.

And this month, the startup announced plans to launch a new production facility at 50 Sims, a collaborative hub for community artists, entrepreneurs and other creatives.

The building is an “affordable” workspace for “artists and makers, workforce development training and small businesses,” according to Liz Maillie, director of leasing and marketing for Scout, the design practice behind the 50 Sims project.

Neuhof first contacted 50 Sims in December 2024, after winning the 2024 Terra Carta Design Lab award.

“The space is really incredible,” said Neuhof, who is also Shellf Life’s CEO. “The location and mixed-use space is lending itself well to this novel process that I’m putting together.”

50 Sims, located in Providence’s Valley District, is also supported by a partnership between the City of Providence and the Providence Redevelopment Agency.

“The Valley’s rich industrial heritage, combined with its growing community of creative industries and maker spaces, makes it an ideal location for businesses like Shellf Life to thrive,” wrote Michaela Antunes, a spokesperson for the City of Providence, in an email to The Herald.

Neuhof hopes that expanding into 50 Sims will help her transition into manufacturing, especially as an “individual maker.” Shellf Life hopes to launch its first commercial line this year, according to the press release.

“Felicia’s just got this incredible vision that I think really speaks to all of us on the team,” Maillie said. “She can really take advantage of the scale of the space and the existing infrastructure. It’s a space that she can get dirty and make a mess in.”

Neuhof recently graduated from RISD with a master’s degree in architecture. Going into the program, Neuhof knew she wanted to incorporate sustainability into her work and soon realized “sustainability begins at the foundation of the materials,” she said.

Shellf Life started with an independent study course with RISD Assistant Professor Evan Farley. Before landing on shellfish waste, Neuhof and her peer Julia Woznicki experimented with coffee grounds, eggshells, recycled artichoke fibers, mycelium and hemp. 

But these materials would easily get moldy or degrade quickly, and soon the group landed on shellfish. After creating a singular tile, Neuhof “was absolutely enamored with it,” she said. After her first year at RISD, Neuhof moved the project to her home studio to continue experimenting with how shellfish waste could be used.

Some of these experiments involved “casting the material into molds and using it (for) tiles and bricks” as a substitute for concrete, Neuhof added. Another iteration turned the shells into a translucent, leather-like material that could be used for lighting.

As the startup plans to expand into the market early next year, Neuhof says that she hopes to adapt shell material for uses in home development, such as rain screens, interior tiles or cladding — the practice of applying protective exterior layers on homes to resist damages and weather.

Neuhof expressed excitement about Shellf Life’s future at 50 Sims, explaining that the opportunity is “connecting dots that haven’t necessarily been connected before,” she said.