Why Mardi Gras beads are so toxic—and how a group of middle schoolers is trying to change that. ... Pile by pile, they use shovels, brushes, and rakes to cross the finish line.

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.

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.

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

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.

Mardi Gras throws can litter streets or crowd paradegoers' homes after Carnival season. Here's how to recycle your beads, thanks to the help of several local organizations.

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 ...

Cheap plastic beads often end up in landfills and can clog up the city’s 100-year-old drainage system. That’s led to more calls to ditch them altogether.

NEW ORLEANS — You probably have a big bag of Mardi Gras beads in your home right now. Or maybe you've already recycled them to one of the non-profits. But now one krewe hopes to lighten your ...

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. In ...