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Biodegradable Mardi Gras beads help make Carnival season more sustainable
LSU students produced 3,000 biodegradable PlantMe Bead necklaces with okra seeds for three New Orleans krewes to reduce plastic waste during the 2026 Mardi Gras season.
- For the 2026 Carnival season, Louisiana State University students produced 3,000 PlantMe Bead necklaces and gave them to three krewes, including the Krewe of Freret, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Cheap plastic Mardi Gras bead necklaces contribute to about 2.5 million pounds of waste and clogged storm drains with more than 46 tons found after heavy flooding, harming Lake Pontchartrain.
- Alexis Strain said the idea to develop biodegradable beads was first conceived in 2013, and the lab produced an algae-based prototype in 2018, but costs were too high; PlantMe Beads are 3D-printed from starch-based polylactic acid and contain okra seeds.
- That is why it was a radical step when the Krewe of Freret made the decision last year to ban plastic beads, with Greg Rhoades saying `Our riders loved it because the spectators don't value this anymore.` Now, they are preparing to study microplastics, despite no good data existing yet, Trail said.
- Kato hopes Mardi Gras embraces less waste as he discusses turning bead-making into a community project with local schools, while Strain experiments with biodegradable 3D printer materials.
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40 Articles
New Orleans tests biodegradable Mardi Gras beads to combat 46 tons of drain-clogging plastic
Louisiana State University researchers have developed biodegradable, plantable Mardi Gras beads to address New Orleans' massive plastic pollution problem, as the city works to reduce the 2.5 million pounds of trash generated during Carnival season.
·United States
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Revolutionizing Mardi Gras: From Plastic Beads to Biodegradable Innovation
Mardi Gras is amid a sustainable transformation, with biodegradable beads replacing plastic ones due to environmental concerns. The Krewe of Freret has banned plastic beads, opting for biodegradable 'PlantMe Beads' made with polylactic acid and okra seeds, developed by LSU students. This reflects a growing trend towards eco-friendly festivities.
·India
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Total News Sources40
Leaning Left15Leaning Right2Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution51% Center
Bias Distribution
- 51% of the sources are Center
51% Center
L 43%
C 51%
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