Mardi Gras Bead Recycling Pilot Project

Mardi Gras beads may be the favorite throw of both maskers and parade goers, but if left on the streets and sidewalks after a parade, they often wind up in our waterways. Once in the ecosystem, beads, like other litter, have a negative impact on wildlife and waterways.

In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of abandoned beads, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program has partnered with Keep Mobile Beautiful, the Downtown Mobile Alliance, the Bellwether Group and the City of Mobile to create a clever bead recycling opportunity.

The Don’t Throw it Down Clown recycling containers will be placed throughout downtown through the end of Carnival season. The 55-gallon drums are outfitted with special tops to allow the collection of beads, but hopefully no other trash. The containers will be placed in Bienville Square, Cathedral Square, Spanish Plaza and near the intersection of Dauphin and Washington Streets. After Fat Tuesday, the beads will be collected and delivered to students at Augusta Evans School for recycling and reuse next year. Beads may also be dropped off at the Recycling Center at 1451 Government Street in Mobile.

If the pilot project is successful, it will be expanded for future Mardi Gras celebrations. A recent clean-up effort of Three Mile Creek demonstrated the extent of the problem. “Hundreds and hundreds of strands of beads were pulled out of the creek bed,” according to Roberta Swann, director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. “If people were more aware of the damage they cause, I think they would be more careful where they drop their beads,” she added.