The many Krewes of the New Orleans Mardi Gras parades throw beads and trinkets, thought to be collectibles and much prized by the rowdy celebrants of Fat Tuesday (March 1 in 2022).
But a ton of beads aren't that prized. In fact, about 40 tons of beads each year have to be pulled out of storm drains in New Orleans, and that's just the start of the clean up.
In 2019, garbage trucks collected more than 1,300 tons of trash, adding up to 2.6 million pounds.
In 2021, because of the pandemic, Mardi Gras parades were cancelled. The streets were cleaner and the city was quieter, but people still partied, resulting in 50,000 COVID infections. Meanwhile, the industries that grew up around Mardi Gras were quietly dying. According to New Orleans radio, millions of pounds of beads had to be warehoused, causing losses of $30 to $40 million in 2021.
