Carnival Season has come to an end, and for those who celebrate you are likely familiar with the celebrations, libations, and all-around FUN that occur during this time until the culmination on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). Though observed for centuries all across the world, the celebratory season became famous in none other than the Big Easy–New Orleans, Louisiana. Though my roots are in Florida, I am fortunate enough to have a branch of my family in New Orleans that I have loved visiting for years. Being in Tallahassee for college made it even easier to make a trip to this year’s Mardi Gras.

As an environmentalist-in-progress, and given my experience as Sustainable Campus’ Waste Reduction Coordinator, I found myself torn when the season came around this year. I thought of the “loot” I would catch and the family I would enjoy, but also the food, trash, and plastic beads that would end up in landfills, trees, and sewage systems. Yes – it gets messy! However, I am certainly not the only one who has this concern. When scrolling through the NOLA News the week before the main event, I started to notice talk of recycling initiatives for the famous beads. So as my krewe and I drove west to the Crescent City, I knew I had to see these efforts for myself.

I was pleasantly surprised when I encountered a recycling bin right next to our parade-watching spot on Saint Charles Avenue. I scanned the QR code and was linked to an easy-to-follow site with a map of where to find recycling bins on the route. The site introduced me to a group called Grounds Krewe, the unsung heroes of Mardi Gras. I followed their Instagram and learned all about their sustainable throws (an umbrella term for anything tossed to parade watchers from the floats).

Instead of the traditional plastic beads, Grounds Krewe encourages riders to throw items like small jute sacks of local snacks, hand-made or recycled crafts, and other low-waste products. They even offer biodegradable glitter! I received some Grounds Krewe throws myself - a set of bamboo toothbrushes and a baggie of beads from Mardi Gras past!

The list goes on for what riders can use as sustainable throws. Recycled and recyclable glass beads have become a beautiful sustainable throw enjoyed by many (myself included). My two aunts, riders in the all-female Krewe of Iris, decided to hand out live iris flowers! There are also throws like socks and toilet paper which offer practical, “usable” options.

Overall, Mardi Gras is still far from being sustainable and has a long way to go. Fortunately, there are a lot of hardworking people trying to preserve the culture of the event while reducing negative environmental impacts. I liken the efforts of Grounds Krewe to my experience leading our Garnet and Gold Goes Green (G4) group at FSU football games. There are many traditions, like tailgating, where change seems impossible, unwelcome, or ruins the spirit of the celebration. I reject this notion and believe that sustainability is not only the right thing to do, but is becoming the cool thing to do. We are lucky to have so many things to celebrate from football games to Mardi Gras, and I do not think these have to end to be more sustainable. Instead, we need to get creative and change the way we think about these events. The city of New Orleans truly has a party for everything, so the efforts being made by groups like Grounds Krewe will make a huge difference in a wide variety of events. So, as the city is now in “festival season,” I will be eager to follow along and see what kinds of recycling efforts happen at the historic Jazz Fest, and French Quarter Festival.

While this is only a few examples of ways in which recycling can be implemented to sustainably transform traditions, I encourage everyone to learn more about recycling in their area. Recycling is a localized process that is operated by and for community members. Learning more about your community’s specific efforts can help you better understand where your recyclables go, and empower community members to do the right thing. My recommendation for where to start at FSU? Come to G4 at any home football game!