Posted on Jan 28, 2026 | News,Press Releases
Mardi Gras Litter Hurts Louisiana. Help Louisiana Shine By Doing Your Part.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser urge Louisianans to do their part to reduce Mardi Gras waste and litter this carnival season. Whether you are a parade-goer, a krewe member, or a parade organizer, it’s important to be considerate and not litter while celebrating.
“We love to celebrate Mardi Gras in Louisiana, but we must be mindful of the litter and waste we are creating,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Bring a bag for throws and a bag for your trash. Keeping trash off the ground should be everyone’s priority.”
Susan Russell, KLB Executive Director, adds, “Beads and other litter end up in our trees and in our storm drains. The beads are toxic, and they break down into smaller plastic pieces that can pollute our waterways, clog storm drains, and harm wildlife. Parade organizers can opt for more sustainable throws, and parade-goers can help by picking up their trash and recycling unwanted beads.”
During the 2023 carnival season, 1,162 tons (2.5 million lbs.) of Mardi Gras trash were transported to the landfill in 11 days, according to the City of New Orleans. In 2018, the New Orleans drainage system was found to have 93,000 lbs. of beads inside it, a number that has undoubtedly grown since. At all Mardi Gras parades happening across the state, litter is an issue that must be addressed.
As a parade-goer, these are ways you can help:
- Pack a bag for your throws and a bag for your trash. Take your trash with you, sort out your recyclables, and dispose of everything properly.
- Organize a post-Mardi Gras cleanup. Keep litter from clogging storm drains and entering our waterways by cleaning up your community. You can also volunteer with Keep Louisiana Beautiful Affiliates and partners organizing post-parade cleanups.
- Donate your beads and throws. Prevent beads from entering our waterways and landfills. You can donate them to groups like ArcGNO Mardi Gras Recycle Center (MGRC). Grounds Krewe provides a list of sites accepting clean and unbroken beads, cups, toys, plush, doubloons, etc. Check with your parish government for local information.
As a krewe member or parade organizer, these are ways you can help:
Keep Louisiana Beautiful and French Quarter Festivals, Inc. created and published the Greener Grounds Guidebook and Workbook to provide practical ways you can plan to manage and reduce waste, increase recycling, and prevent litter at large outdoor events. The guidebook and workbook are free to use, and there is a section on reducing litter and waste at parades. Best practices highlighted in the guidebook include:
- Collect buy-in from krewe members on your commitment to reducing litter and waste.
- Focus on sourcing more sustainable, reusable, and easily recyclable throws like those sold by Grounds Krewe.
- Assign responsibility to float captains to be litter prevention ambassadors.
- Adopt a krewe policy to prohibit tossing anything from the floats except throws along the parade route.
KLB encourages outdoor event organizers in Louisiana to download the Greener Grounds guidebook and workbook for free.
Learn more about Keep Louisiana Beautiful programs and resources at KeepLouisianaBeautiful.org. You can also report littering and illegal dumping to 855-LA-Litter.
