Pile by pile, they use shovels, brushes, and rakes to cross the finish line. Nearly all the debris—in 2023, a total of around 300 tons of it—heads to the landfill.

LAFAYETTE, La. — As Mardi Gras festivities wind down, the colorful beads that often come with the celebrations can pile up, leaving many wondering what to do with the excess.

City workers in Mobile, Ala. shovel pounds of Mardi Gras beads into the back of a truck. This story was originally published by Inside Climate News. MOBILE, Ala. — The trees tell the tale.

Anna Nguyen, with the city's Office of Resilience and Sustainability, says waste like beads, plastic, and glass bottles can be recycled. She says there are ways to have a more sustainable Mardi Gras.

So far, 50 bins have been filled with throws and beads that will be used again for Mardi Gras 2025.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is bigger than ever — and so is the collection of unwanted throws that are swept away by the city's street cleaners or go on to pile up in your closets post Carnival.

There are ways to recycle the cheap, plastic beads that have become synonymous with Mardi Gras, but many end up in landfills. They also clog up the city’s 100-year-old drainage system.

The program gives back to the community in many ways, including financially. Innovative program puts Mardi Gras beads to good use after the party is over: 'A big impact' first appeared on The Cool ...

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras krewe ditches beads for next parade season "We've got to move more towards sustainability," said Bobby Hjortsberg, Captain of the Krewe of Freret.

Pile by pile, they use shovels, brushes and rakes to cross the finish line. Nearly all the debris—in 2023, a total of around 300 tons of it—heads to the landfill.