Sustainable Mardi Gras?
Happy Mardi Gras, y’all! It’s in full swing here in New Orleans. If you’re looking at a calendar, you might be confused, because it’s officially not until February 17th. But in Nola, it’s a whole season—about six weeks (sometimes more) of king cake, parades, decorations, and parties. Along with all of these festivities, typically one finds a lot of trash. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Leading the trend to a more sustainable Mardi Gras in New Orleans is Grounds Krewe. They make sustainable parade throws (I once got a compostable toothbrush from them!) and have volunteers that collect the non-sustainable throws that fill the streets following the parades. They’re an awesome organization!
What are some ways individuals can do to have a more sustainable Mardi Gras?
B.Y.O.C If you’re going to have a drink at a parade, bring your own cup. It’s totally legal to walk around town with an alcoholic drink, so long as it’s not in a glass container, but the plastic to-go cups (and straws) are so wasteful! If you’re in walking distance to a parade, bring your drink in a reusable cup (pro-tip: you’re likely to get a cup as a parade throw!). If you think you’ll want more than just one drink, you could always fill a thermos. Of course, please enjoy responsibly!
Also, even if you’re not drinking alcohol, put whatever your drink of choice in a cup or bottle from home!
Reuse your throws: Though Grounds Krewe is doing awesome work with encouraging sustainable throws, from food to toothbrushes, a lot of the throws are still the “regular” ones. But that doesn’t have to mean they end up in the trash! Many crews will take throws back for next year. Items like stuffed animals or balls make great kids gifts, especially for young family or friends from out-of-town. Even beads can be saved for decorations or costumes.
Make your own king cake: King cake. The desert of Mardi Gras. If you’ve never had it, think giant cinnamon roll, covered in icing and festive sprinkles. It can be filled with cream, chocolate, pralines, or jelly (among other things), or kept traditional. During Mardi Gras, king cakes can be found in every grocery store and bakery. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to make an environmental impact (because making your own produces less garbage—it’s not wrapped in cardboard and plastic), why not make your own?
On the Bored Barista channel, my husband filmed a making-of-the-king cake episode here: Friday Featurette - King Cake Recipe - YouTube
If you’ve experienced Mardi Gras, what are some sustainable tips you have to share? And for the blog post on Monday, February 9th, check back to read about my opinions of B.G.’s Top Five Favorite Books.
Thanks for reading!
💜
Laura
