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0219 February
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bead aware the toxic tales of
mardi
gras
beads
by kate stevens m ary anne garcia has ridden in the krewe of iris for years, and while the joie de vivre and excitement of carnival has remained the same, she has seen a change among spectators. they don?t want the same old plastic throws they can get at any parade. ?i have found over the last few years, these plastic
beads
, the big ones that used to be so flashy, nobody really wants them, you know?? says garcia, 63, of metairie. ?they?ll drop to the ground. they want something different now.? garcia also finds it wasteful that so many of these unwanted plastic throws end up in the gutter, the storm drains, and the landfill. that?s why for
mardi
gras
2019, garcia has purchased specialty throws from atlas handmade
beads
, a new orleans company that sells necklaces and bracelets made of recycled magazine paper from women in uganda. she has purchased fewer plastic throws as a result and hopes these unique, colorful necklaces from atlas are ones people will actually wear as keepsakes. ?i?d rather have less to throw, but what i?m throwing, people want,? says garcia. garcia is part of a growing movement to make
mardi
gras
more environmentally friendly, less wasteful, and with fewer of the plastic throws and toys that studies have shown contain harmful substances like lead and chemical flame retardants. ?it?s not just about a cultural shift,? says katrina brees, founder of kolossos, a sub-krewe using bicycles as homemade floats and whose riders pass out artisan throws and edible new orleans-based snacks. ?it?s actually about a toxic health hazard, and a lot of people are beginning to understand that. [
beads
are] shifting from being a symbol of happiness to a symbol of sadness, and people feel that.? and, there are plenty of
beads
. twenty-five million pounds, or 12,500 tons, of them are thrown during the carnival season from twelfth night to
mardi
gras
, according to a 2013 report on potential lead exposure from
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gras
beads
and parade route environments. ?this is a time when we certainly have to think about the planet that we?re living on and the impact parades have on the city of new orleans,? says howard mielke, a professor in the pharmacology department of the tulane university school of medicine and co- author of the lead exposure report. ?the parades are wonderful. i love them. we just have to make sure to find a way to make them kinder to the environment and to the health of our children.? plastic
beads
left in the gutter as garbage become an environmental nightmare. in january 2018, the city of new orleans announced it had retrieved 7.2 million pounds of trash and debris, including 93,000 pounds of
mardi
gras
beads
, from city catch basins during a four-month cleaning project along a five- block stretch of st. charles avenue. these harmful plastics can work their way to our waterways and oceans where they can affect animal and plant life, and ultimately humans, says mielke. and every year, between 4,500 and 8,000 tons of trash is collected during
mardi
gras
just in the french quarter, according to verdi
gras
, a volunteer group seeking to encourage a more green, more sustainable
mardi
gras
celebration. 2018-19 cover kid aayush d. photo credit: kleinpeter photography 4 8 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 9
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