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While thought to be decorative, Mardi Gras beads hanging on trees are harmful to the plant as a whole. When the parade season ended in 2014, the New Orleans city government spent $1.5 million to pick up about 1,500 tons of Mardi Gras-induced waste, consisting mostly of beads. [1] This is a recurring problem every year for the city. The stringed beads, often sourced from China, can contain lead, heavy metals, and other materials that can be toxic to humans, particularly children. Tens of millions of pounds of Chinese-made plastic beads are imported to the Gulf Coast for Mardi Gras annually, a cheap but vast loot of plastic throws that only increases in volume each year. Much of Mardi Gras’ environmental impact comes from plastic waste associated with float throws, Strickland emphasized, trinkets that can be changed in design to be more eco-friendly. Mardi Grad beads in New Orleans are creating an environmental disaster Despite a daily cleanup that leaves the post-parade landscape remarkably clean, uncaught beads dangle from tree limbs like Much of Mardi Gras’ environmental impact comes from plastic waste associated with float throws, Strickland emphasized, trinkets that can be changed in design to be more eco-friendly. The problem is that petroleum-based plastic beads typically thrown at Mardi Gras, produced from natural gas and oil-derived feedstock, degrade very slowly, releasing heavy metals and other toxins into the environment with devastating effects. And they can damage a city’s infrastructure, for example, clogging sewer systems in New Orleans. Mardi Gras can make a lot of trash, adding up to millions of pounds each year. Now, some parades in New Orleans are cutting down on their environmental footprint by banning plastic beads. (As a result, we recommend children and adults keep Mardi Gras beads out of their mouths and always wash their hands after handling the beads.) We had the opportunity to talk with VerdiGras founder and author Dr. Holly Groh about her work spreading the word about Mardi Gras waste. (This interview has been edited for clarity and length.) THE PLASTIC PROBLEM. Re-thinking Mardi Gras beads are indicative of a larger, global trend to reduce the use of unnecessary, novelty plastics. In recent years several studies have signalled an Mardi Gras beads often come in these colors, but the now-ubiquitous beads weren’t added to the celebration until the 1900s. The 1960s and 70s introduced an explosion of plastic bead options. While thought to be decorative, Mardi Gras beads hanging on trees are harmful to the plant as a whole. When the parade season ended in 2014, the New Orleans city government spent $1.5 million to pick up about 1,500 tons of Mardi Gras-induced waste, consisting mostly of beads. [1] This is a recurring problem every year for the city. The stringed beads, often sourced from China, can contain lead, heavy metals, and other materials that can be toxic to humans, particularly children. Tens of millions of pounds of Chinese-made plastic beads are imported to the Gulf Coast for Mardi Gras annually, a cheap but vast loot of plastic throws that only increases in volume each year. Much of Mardi Gras’ environmental impact comes from plastic waste associated with float throws, Strickland emphasized, trinkets that can be changed in design to be more eco-friendly. Mardi Grad beads in New Orleans are creating an environmental disaster Despite a daily cleanup that leaves the post-parade landscape remarkably clean, uncaught beads dangle from tree limbs like Much of Mardi Gras’ environmental impact comes from plastic waste associated with float throws, Strickland emphasized, trinkets that can be changed in design to be more eco-friendly. The problem is that petroleum-based plastic beads typically thrown at Mardi Gras, produced from natural gas and oil-derived feedstock, degrade very slowly, releasing heavy metals and other toxins into the environment with devastating effects. And they can damage a city’s infrastructure, for example, clogging sewer systems in New Orleans. Mardi Gras can make a lot of trash, adding up to millions of pounds each year. Now, some parades in New Orleans are cutting down on their environmental footprint by banning plastic beads. (As a result, we recommend children and adults keep Mardi Gras beads out of their mouths and always wash their hands after handling the beads.) We had the opportunity to talk with VerdiGras founder and author Dr. Holly Groh about her work spreading the word about Mardi Gras waste. (This interview has been edited for clarity and length.) THE PLASTIC PROBLEM. Re-thinking Mardi Gras beads are indicative of a larger, global trend to reduce the use of unnecessary, novelty plastics. In recent years several studies have signalled an Mardi Gras beads often come in these colors, but the now-ubiquitous beads weren’t added to the celebration until the 1900s. The 1960s and 70s introduced an explosion of plastic bead options.
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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