Beads, Sewers, Fun and the Environment

Beads and fun go together during Mardi Gras, so it's said.  But those thousands and thousands of beads have a dark side. 

Not only do these beads make their way into the sewer system clogging drains and wreaking havoc, the time it takes to clean them up and the impact on the environment due to the mercury, lead and other toxins in them is tremendous.

And when the facts come to light that most of these beads come from sweatshops in China where girls work 16 hours/day stringing beads for a measly pay of 10 cents an hour, the dark side of it all sky-rockets. 

Below is a table taken from the article linked here regarding how many beads are left behind after the partying ends.

Imagine 1,800 tons of beads

Michael LaRussa with the Krewe of Hercules estimates that Terrebonne Parish parades toss 1,800 tons of beads to crowds during the Mardi Gras season.

That’s the same weight as:

878 Ford F-150 pickups.

360 killer whales.

18 Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes.

25,714 kegs of beer (full).

45,000 Labrador retrievers (full grown, male).