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Mardi Gras day this year falls on Feb. 21, 2023. It’s a beloved Carnival season tradition in New Orleans — masked riders on lavish floats fling string of beads or other trinkets to parade watchers. But the huge amount of non-biodegradable plastic beads that wind up amid all the other Mardi Gras trash worries environmentalists. It seemed as if the bead workers were treated as mules, with the forces of the market their masters. A family catches Mardi Gras beads during the Krewe of Thoth parade down St. Charles Avenue in 2000. The Ecology Center, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, released a report in 2020 on the chemical hazards of Mardi Gras beads, concluding that most of the sampled throws contained bromine and antimony In late 2018 and early 2019, we tested 56 beaded necklaces collected from Gasparilla parades in Florida and from Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana. For necklaces that contained multiple bead colors or pendants, we tested these different components separately. According to the Earth Island Journal, 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. (Ellie Cowen) Mardi Gras beads are a quintessential part of the New Orleans yearly festivities. 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. 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 The Ecology Center, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, released a report in 2020 on the chemical hazards of Mardi Gras beads, concluding that most of the sampled throws contained bromine and antimony No object screams bacchanalian melee quite like the beaded throws chucked at revelers along the Mardi Gras parade route each spring during Carnival. In New Orleans alone, krewes toss more than 25 million pounds of plastic beads each year as sloshed spectators clamor to collect. Unfortunately, the beads are more than just wasteful–they're toxic, according to the Ecology Center's Healthy Stuff 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. Mardi Gras reveler Mike Turpin, whose night still isn't over, watches as a front loader collects beads and other debris left behind by revelers on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a famously unholy mess. After the 2018 celebration, some wondered if it had gone too far. Apart from bacchanalian excess, the parade left behind 950 tons of debris in In 2022, in New Orleans alone, 1,150 tons of Mardi Gras waste went to the landfill over the course of 11 days. Abandoned beads, cups, and other toxic throws inevitably result in clogged storm drains and flooding, the demise of fish and wildlife, and the pollution of Louisiana’s lakes, rivers, and bayous. (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.) Jerome and Dian Milton's biodegradable Mardi Gras beads lay on a table at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. The beads and paint are biodegradable and compostable. Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans are leaving behind a significant environmental footprint, with beads and other plastic trinkets causing pollution concerns.Kevin McGill reports for the Associated Press.In short:The festive tradition results in large amounts of non-biodegradable plastic waste, The interior of Mardi Gras beads, which often get shattered during celebrations, contained concentrations of hazardous chemicals that were as high as the exterior coating of the beads. VPIRG urges consumers to avoid purchasing or wearing cheap, plastic Mardi Gras beads. These Mardi Gras “throws” were similar to the festival customs of the English Renaissance era. In 1875 Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal state holiday. Traditional Mardi Gras beads are purple, green, and gold colors with these three colors representing the Christian symbolism of power, justice, and faith respectively. Producing the biodegradable Mardi Gras beads that parade goers will catch in New Orleans this month is labor intensive and costly compared to the ubiquitous mass-produced plastic Mardi Gras beads. The biodegradable beads are made from microalgae that Kato and his students grow in a large, 18-foot tank on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge. The Problem with Mardi Gras Waste. From discarded beads to single-use cups, the waste generated during Mardi Gras is staggering. In just 11 days of parades, 2.5 million pounds of trash are swept from the streets . Items, particularly plastic beads, can clog storm drains, contribute to flooding, and take centuries to decompose.
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