In the vibrant streets of New Orleans, hundreds of thousands gather to celebrate the festive tradition of Mardi Gras, enjoying parades and revelry while simultaneously producing an enormous amount of waste. At the break of dawn on Wednesday, a diverse group of waste management workers began the daunting task of clearing tens of thousands of pounds of garbage that had accumulated throughout the historic French Quarter.
Navigating the cluttered streets, Leander Nunez, a seasoned 54-year-old supervisor for IV Waste, drove a large truck onto Bourbon Street after 5 a.m. His task was to spray water onto the debris, making it easier to sweep away. The company is under contract with the city to handle the cleanup of several major streets during the 58-day Carnival season. The sound of crushed beaded necklaces, thrown from the festive parades and balconies, marked his progress past daiquiri bars, strip clubs, and casual eateries.
The vehicle plowed through waves of trash, including beverage cans, wrappers, and the signature neon green cups of “hand grenade” drinks, pushing them aside like an ocean liner through seas. As morning emerged, bar patrons greeted the waste collectors, and a pair of intoxicated individuals hastily jumped onto the sidewalks to dodge the waste-filled surge, leading Nunez to mutter about the routine chaos of Bourbon Street.
Nunez, reflecting on his extensive experience, noted that the cleanup was somewhat easier this year, possibly affected by a January 1 truck incident and severe weather that interrupted Tuesday’s festivities. “I judge it by the trash,” he commented, observing that while a crowd had gathered for Mardi Gras, the volume of waste was noticeably less than usual.
IV Waste has perfected their cleanup strategy to ensure the French Quarter is clean by around 10 a.m. daily, said Sidney Torres, the company’s owner and president. After initially soaking the trash, teams equipped with pressure washers removed garbage from the sidewalks. Tractors with bristles, endearingly dubbed “toothbrushes,” scrubbed the asphalt, focusing on snagging beads. Bulldozers then scooped up mounds of trash, depositing them into trucks with a 40,000-pound (18,144 kilograms) capacity. Team members carrying brooms swept up residual waste into bins.
The final step in the process is a citrus spray that Torres calls “lemon fresh.” This is more than just a fragrance, as it contains enzymes that eliminate bacteria, preventing unpleasant odors from lingering and associating themselves with clean streets.
Mardi Gras sustainability has seen progress over the past three years, with various organizations striving to reduce the staggering amount of over 2 million tons (1.8 million metric tons) of waste produced during the Carnival period. Franziska Trautmann, cofounder of the glass recycling company Glass Half Full, reported that the effort, though overwhelming, is gradually yielding noticeable changes.
In conjunction with local partners, Glass Half Full successfully gathered more than 33,000 pounds (15,000 kilograms) of glass from roughly two dozen bars in a “Bar Wars” challenge and via recycling points along parade routes. Anna Nguyen from the city’s Office of Resilience & Sustainability shared that the city is collaborating with neighborhood groups to promote recycling and offers incentives for those who recycle beads, cans, or bottles. An artist is even creating a mosaic using collected items.
This year, for the first time, New Orleans allocated $50,000 for Mardi Gras recycling projects and plans to increase this budget five times for the coming year, according to Nguyen. She added that event organizers are progressively favoring cities with sustainable practices. Alongside this, cultural attitudes are transitioning among social groups and parade participants toward greater sustainability. Kevin Ferguson of New Orleans & Company noted this is evolving into a broader movement, not merely isolated initiatives.
Indications of progress include the evolution of Mardi Gras “throws”—the small trinkets tossed to parade audiences. These are increasingly items of intrinsic value and desirability rather than disposable beads, which now largely remain on the ground unattracted. Ferguson emphasized, “You’re seeing riders are buying fewer beads and more of other desirable items.”
