Recycle Dat! Program Expands Efforts to Reduce Carnival Season Waste
NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Office of Resilience & Sustainability (ORS), in partnership with New Orleans & Company, Grounds Krewe, Glass Half Full, Osprey Initiative, and other coalition members, proudly announces the achievements of the Recycle Dat! initiative, now in its third year, aimed at promoting a more sustainable Mardi Gras.
Thanks to sponsors like Every Can Counts, Entergy New Orleans, Coca-Cola, Louisiana Beverage Association, Premium Parking, and other partners, the Recycle Dat! initiative successfully diverted 73,858 total pounds away from landfills during the 2025 Carnival Season. This total includes 3,828 pounds of aluminum, which is roughly 100,000 cans; 905 pounds of plastic bottles, which is roughly 23,490 bottles; 46,321 pounds of glass; and 22,803 pounds of Mardi Gras beads and throws.
The 2025 initiative far surpassed the 2024 Recycle Dat! collection total of 4,302 pounds of aluminum beverage cans; 236 pounds of plastic bottles; 4,288 pounds of glass; and 12,697 pounds of beads and throws.
“Recycle Dat! is a testament to how we can celebrate Mardi Gras while protecting what makes New Orleans special,” said Greg Nichols, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer & Director of the Office of Resilience & Sustainability. “The enthusiastic participation of residents, visitors, and a diverse coalition of partners has led to remarkable growth in our sustainability efforts each year. When provided with waste diversion options, both residents and visitors enthusiastically participate, proving that our city’s culture and sustainability can go hand in hand.”
Recycle Dat!, which was recently featured in AP News, BBC News, and Travel + Leisure, brings together tourism and beverage industry partners, small businesses, and local nonprofit organizations dedicated to sustainability to expand upon Grounds Krewe’s well-established Mardi Gras recycling efforts.
"Helping to create a more sustainable Mardi Gras is a critical mission,” said Walt Leger III, President & CEO of New Orleans & Company. “This shift in thinking and practice is not just the right thing to do for our community, but it’s the smart thing to do, as travelers from around the globe continue to prioritize sustainable practices when making their travel decisions. The consistent growth of this program year over year is the result of hard work, a strong coalition of supporters, and a strong partnership that will continue to expand. Recycle Dat! is just one of many initiatives underway to help New Orleans continue to be a great place to live, work, visit, and invest."
“Every year, the conversation around sustainable parading gains volume and momentum,” said Brett Davis, Executive Director of Grounds Krewe. “Waste prevention through lower quantity, higher quality throws and waste reduction through efforts like Recycle Dat! are leading the way. We feel the success not only in pounds diverted but in the amazing social impact this program is generating. And we’re also just having a lot of fun doing it.”
Through these combined efforts, Recycle Dat! has significantly reduced the environmental footprint of Mardi Gras, showcasing the community's commitment to sustainability. The initiative reflects a growing cultural shift towards eco-friendly practices in New Orleans, ensuring that the celebration of Mardi Gras aligns with the city's dedication to environmental stewardship.
“It’s an honor to witness this movement grow every single year,” said Franziska Trautmann, CEO of Glass Half Full. “I’m particularly excited about our Bar Wars program, which diverted over 41,000 pounds of glass from landfills in just a few weeks.”
“We were really excited to bring Recycle World (an end-route micro-MRF) to the Recycle Dat program this year,” added Don Bates, Owner/President of Osprey Initiative. “Recycle World added efficiency to the program and increased visibility to the public concerning effective recycling. Big thank you to Coca-Cola for sponsoring this new initiative!”
This year's efforts introduced innovative programs and expanded existing ones to further reduce waste and enhance environmental consciousness during the festivities:
On-Route Parade Recycling Program:
The Recycle Dat! initiative continued its on-route recycling program during weekend day parades, allowing the public to recycle aluminum cans, glass, plastic bottles, and unwanted parade throws. Staffed recycling stations along Napoleon and St. Charles Avenues serviced receptacles placed along the route and distributed "crawfish sacks" for collecting clean throws to be recycled and reused. This initiative diverted 15,457 pounds from landfills:
- 3,380 pounds of glass
- 7,641 pounds of beads and throws
- 3,536 pounds of aluminum
- 900 pounds of plastic bottles
Mardi Bar Wars: From February 1st through Mardi Gras Day, 23 New Orleans bars participated in a competition to recycle the most glass in partnership with Glass Half Full, Climate Culture, Pursuit of Happiness Farms, and Creole Contemporary. This initiative diverted 41,431 pounds of glass from landfills, converting it into sustainable sand for coastal restoration projects.
Off-Route Recycling Collection:
- The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center continued to recycle Mardi Gras beads at the parade parties for Bacchus and Orpheus, partnering with Osprey Initiative to divert 5,000 pounds of beads and throws and 1,500 pounds of glass from landfills.
- The French Quarter Management District teamed up again with Glass Half Full to provide bead and throw recycling at hotels in the French Quarter. Together they diverted 9,894 pounds of throws and beads from landfills.
- On February 14, 2025, the "Re-Cyclists" marching krewe paraded with Krewe of Bohème to collect 162 pounds of aluminum, 10 pounds of glass, and 6 pounds of plastic bottles from parade attendees in a fun and interactive way.
For more information on Mardi Gras sustainability, including year-round drop-off sites and krewes that are championing sustainable throws, visit https://recycledat.org.
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