Every year in New Orleans, there's a fun tradition during Carnival season where people wear masks and ride on fancy floats. They throw colorful beads and trinkets to the crowd, who eagerly reach out to catch them.
But while it's all about having a good time, it's causing a big problem with plastic waste, says Judith Enck, who used to work for the Environmental Protection Agency. The Carnival season is happening right now, with parades happening almost every day until Mardi Gras, the final day of celebrations before Lent begins. Thousands of people come to watch these parades, but they leave behind a lot of trash.
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Even though there are people who clean up the streets every day after the parades, some beads still end up hanging from trees or getting stuck in the mud. Some even get washed into the drainage system, which causes problems when the city floods. Tons of beads have been taken out of the drains in recent years.
And the ones that don't get caught in the drains end up in Lake Pontchartrain, which is bad for the fish and animals living there, says Enck.
Brett Davis, who grew up in New Orleans and loves Mardi Gras, is now trying to reduce the waste from the parades. He runs a group that's finding ways to reuse old beads instead of making new ones. People who catch lots of beads can donate them to an organization called the Arc of New Orleans, which sells them again to raise money for people with disabilities.
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There are also places along the parade routes where you can recycle cans, glass, and beads.
But some people are trying to come up with alternatives to plastic beads. Davis' group is selling things like headbands made from old T-shirts, beads made from paper or recycled glass, wooden yo-yos, and packets of local food like coffee or jambalaya mix.
"I just caught 15 foam footballs at a parade," Davis joked. "What am I going to do with another one?"
Although plastic beads are still very popular, more people are starting to think about ways to reduce their impact on the environment.
"These efforts will help make Mardi Gras more environmentally friendly," said Christy Leavitt from the group Oceana.
Enck, who visited New Orleans last year during Mardi Gras, hopes that parade organizers will start using biodegradable alternatives.
"There are plenty of ways to have fun during this festival without harming the environment," she said.
