In an attempt to recycle Mardi Gras beads and cut down on trashy streets, you can now throw your beads back at a passing float.
"Because of an initiative by Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vranken, the council passed an ordinance allowing us to put a throw-back float at the end of Jefferson Parish parades," says Stephen Sauer, Executive Director of ARC of Greater New Orleans.
Unwanted beads can be tossed at a big truck at the end of Metairie parades.
The beads will be taken to an ARC recycling center, and employees will repackage and resell the beads. It's part of ARC's mission to help employ people with developmental disabilities.
Sauer says the goal is to get folks to toss in their unwanted beads to help with the non-profit's mission of employing people with developmental disabilities.
"We were going to put an image of a referee on the float or Roger Goodell," says Sauer. "And we decided we didn't want people to throw angrily at the float. So, we have little hula hoops, and we're inviting people to toss the beads through the hoops and into the floats."
In the past, it's been illegal to throw beads or anything else toward a parade. But now, the JP council says "Go ahead and toss 'em back."
"So, at present, we are scheduled to follow Excalibur on Friday, Kings on Sunday, Centurions next Friday and Isis on Saturday, March 2nd."
Sauer cays they can't take all beads, however.
"Broken beads and beads that are soaking wet or really filthy dirty, if they're falling in mud, are not good beads to throw back at the floats, because they contaminate the rest of the beads."
But, for all the others...
"Go ahead catch them, have fun and then as our float passes, just throw them back in the float and declutter your home before it gets cluttered," Sauer said. "And contribute to a great cause."
