No beads left behind: Where to donate, recycle your leftover throws after Mardi Gras
Thousands upon thousands of colorful beads will litter the streets after revelers celebrate Mardi Gras. But what happens to those leftover beads when the parades and parties stop?
The Mississippi Aquarium is among Gulf Coast community organizations accepting leftover throws in an effort to keep the region’s waterways free and clear of harmful plastics, according to a news release.
The aquarium has partnered with the Arc of Greater New Orleans to collect unwanted or leftover Mardi Gras beads. Revelers have until March 22 to drop off their unwanted stashes, the aquarium said.
Last year, the aquarium said it collected more than 10,000 pounds of beads.
The donated throws will be repurposed and sold by the Arc of Greater New Orleans, which provides employment and other services to people with intellectual disabilities, according to the group’s website.
“Mardi Gras beads are plastic, and plastic is not benign; it is loaded with chemicals like bromine and chlorine as well as heavy metals like lead,” Elizabeth Englebretson of Plastic Free Gulf Coast said in a statement. “When Mardi Gras beads end up as litter in our environment, these chemicals leach into the soil and the water.”
The aquarium said the beads also pose a threat to marine wildlife in the Mississippi Sound and Coastal Mississippi waters.
“We must do everything we can to stop plastic from entering our waterways,” Englebretson said.
Beads for Special Needs
The North Bay Civitan Club of D’Iberville-St. Martin is also collecting parade beads post-carnival season.
The group is accepting beads Feb. 15-25 as part of its second-annual Beads for Special Needs drive, according to a Facebook post.
“The final ‘catch’ will be distributed to various agencies & schools teaching life skills to individuals with intellectual & and developmental disabilities,” the post reads.
Beads for Doughnuts
Revelers will also be able to trade their beads for a free treat at Krispy Kreme.
The annual Beads for Doughnuts day will return this year to benefit the Arc of Greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge and the Augusta Evans School in Mobile, Alabama, the national doughnut chain confirmed in an email to McClatchy News.
For every dozen pounds of parade beads, doughnut lovers can receive a free dozen Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnuts. The offer is only valid at select locations, however, and dates vary.
The participating Krispy Kreme shops are:
- 825 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, L.A. 70001 – March 28-29
- 5504 Plank Road, Baton Rouge, L.A. 70805 – March 28-29
- 3031 S. McKenzie Street, Foley, A.L. 36535 – March 25-26
People can also drop off their unwanted beads at the Augusta Evans School from March 25-26 and receive a voucher for a free Krispy Kreme dozen.