Environmentalists Push Alternatives to Plastic Beads at Mardi Gras

Those that aren't removed from drains wash through the system and into Lake Pontchartrain. The non-biodegradable plastic is a threat to fish and wildlife, Enck said.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): It’s a beloved Carnival season tradition in New Orleans: masked riders on lavish floats fling colorful beads and other trinkets to parade-watchers.

It's good fun, but also a “plastics disaster,” said Judith Enck, a former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator and president of advocacy group Beyond Plastics.

Despite a major daily clean-up operation, uncaught beads dangle from tree limbs and get ground into mud. They  wash into storm strains. Tons have been pulled from the drainage system in recent years.

Those that aren't removed from drains wash through the system and into Lake Pontchartrain. The non-biodegradable plastic is a threat to fish and wildlife, Enck said.

The waste has become a characteristic of the event, said Brett Davis, a New Orleans native who grew up catching beads at Mardi Gras parades. He heads a nonprofit that works to reduce the waste.

One way of making a dent in demand for plastic beads is to reuse them. Parade-goers who carry home bags of beads, foam footballs and rubber balls may donate them to Arc of Greater New Orleans. The organization resells the products to raise money for services it provides to people with disabilities.

The city of New Orleans and tourism organization New Orleans & Co. also have collection points for beads.

Grounds Krewe, Davis' nonprofit, is marketing nonplastic, sustainable items for parade participants to pitch. Among them: headbands made of recycled T-shirts; beads made from paper, acai seeds or recycled glass; wooden yo-yos; and packets of locally-made coffee, jambalaya mix or other food items.

'These efforts will help ‘green’ Mardi Gras,' said Christy Leavitt, of the group Oceana.

Enck, who visited attended Mardi Gras celebrations in 2023, hopes organizers will adopt biodegradable alternatives.

“There are great ways to have fun around this wonderful festival,' she said. ”But you can have fun without damaging the environment.”

 Courtesy: www.newsnetmedia.com

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