Daily cleanup operation uncaught Mardi Gras beads dangle from tree limbs, wash into storm strains, pulled from aging New Orleans drainage system; green plastic.
Mardi Gras beads in New Orleans are creating an environmental concern ualrpublicradio.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ualrpublicradio.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Despite a daily cleanup that leaves the post-parade landscape remarkably clean, uncaught beads dangle from tree limbs like Spanish moss and get ground into the mud under the feet of passers-by.
It’s a beloved Carnival season tradition in New Orleans — masked riders on lavish floats fling strings of beads or other trinkets to parade watchers. But environmentalists are worried about the huge amount of nonbiodegradable plastic beads that wind up mixed in all the other Mardi Gras trash. It has led to movements to collect and reuse plastic beads to reduce demand. And it has sparked a growing effort to replace beads with other items. One New Orleans nonprofit now markets a variety of alternative parade favors — including beads made out of paper, acai seeds or recycled glass; wooden yo-yos; and packets of locally-made coffee or jambalaya mix.