Recently, TOTO USA was contacting by the Hampton, VA, Dept. of Public Works (DPW) to construct an artificial oyster bed and transplant it in the Chesapeake Bay.

For the past four years, the Hampton DPW has instituted programs that compensate for a rapidly decreasing oyster population. The most recent efforts have led to the discovery that porcelain could play a key role in saving the Bay's oysters. As a leading manufacturer of ceramic plumbing fixtures, TOTO produces unneeded "b-grade" porcelain that it agreed to reroute to Hampton, covering the loading and shipping expenses as well.