Three Alternatives to Toxic Mardi Gras Throws

No object screams bacchanalian melee quite like the beaded throws chucked at revelers along the Mardi Gras parade route each spring during Carnival. In New Orleans alone, krewes toss more than 25 million pounds of plastic beads each year as sloshed spectators clamor to collect.  Unfortunately, the beads are more than just wasteful–they're toxic, according to the Ecology Center's Healthy Stuff Lab scientists. 

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Mardi Gras Beads Don't Belong in Your Mouth (or your kids') - Center for Environmental Health

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Are there any efforts to replace plastic beads with biodegradable alternatives in other Mardi Gras celebrations around the country? - Quora

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