NEW ORLEANS — Swarms of revelers flooded the streets of New Orleans to partake in the vibrant festivities of Mardi Gras, bringing with them a wave of celebration and, inevitably, waste.
As dawn broke on Wednesday, a dedicated team was tasked with an arduous cleanup mission, set on clearing the historic French Quarter streets stricken with tens of thousands of pounds of debris. Leander Nunez, a seasoned 54-year-old operator, took the wheel of a large dump truck on Bourbon Street shortly after 5 a.m. Armed with the mission of making the trash more manageable, he began blasting the piles with water. As a supervisor for IV Waste, the company contracted for this monumental task, he led the charge in maintaining order along the chaotic city streets over the extended 58-day Carnival period.
Tossed bead necklaces crunched under the truck’s tires as it drove past the daiquiri bars, strip clubs, and fried chicken shacks lining the street. The truck churned through waves of discarded cans, wrappers, and the remnants of neon green hand grenade drink cups, pushing trash outward like the prow of a ship. In the first light of morning, patrons in various states of intoxication stumbled and gestured towards the waste collectors, while a couple narrowly avoided being engulfed by the rising tide of litter. Nunez, no stranger to the mayhem of Bourbon Street, muttered about the scene’s common foolishness.
Despite years of experience, Nunez noted a subtle change in the aftermath. A vehicular incident on January 1 and stormy weather cutting short Tuesday’s parades had lessened the amount of trash on the streets. “I can usually tell how big Mardi Gras is by the trash,” he commented. “There were still crowds here, but it’s not quite the same as it used to be.”
The cleanup process, honed to perfection by IV Waste, has crews finishing by around 10 a.m. each day, according to Sidney Torres, owner and president of the company. The meticulous operation begins with pressure washers flushing debris from the sidewalks, while tractors with thick bristles dubbed “toothbrushes” scour the asphalt for beads. Bulldozers gather the trash into piles before transferring it into trucks capable of carrying up to 40,000 pounds (18,144 kilograms). Finally, small teams armed with brooms ensure no speck remains unswept before a “lemon fresh” citrus spray, infused with bacteria-killing enzymes, is applied.
Efforts towards increasing Mardi Gras sustainability have been ramping up over the last few years. Franziska Trautmann of the glass recycling company Glass Half Full highlighted the strides being made towards reining in the more than 2 million tons (1.8 million metric tons) of rubbish amassed during the Carnival festivities. Collaborating with municipal and other organizations, their initiative collected over 33,000 pounds (15,000 kilograms) of glass from a span of bars through initiatives like the “Bar Wars” competition and designated recycling hubs along parade routes.
The Office of Resilience & Sustainability spokesperson, Anna Nguyen, revealed the city’s ongoing efforts to foster community recycling and participation, offering incentives for those who contribute materials like beads, cans, and bottles. Furthermore, for the first time, the city allocated $50,000 for Mardi Gras recycling efforts, a budget set to increase significantly for next year. Convention leaders and event organizers are increasingly valuing sustainability, Nguyen explained.
There has also been a noticeable cultural shift in sustainability practices among Mardi Gras social clubs and parade participants, explained Kevin Ferguson, vice president of external affairs for New Orleans & Company. The movements indicate a long-term cultural change rather than isolated endeavors. The tradition of “throws”—small gifts tossed from floats to the crowd—is transforming to include more desirable keepsakes, indicating a shift away from the ubiquitous yet unwanted bead necklaces.
“I think you’re seeing float riders opting for fewer beads and more unique, wanted items,” Ferguson remarked. “Nobody is rushing to pick up beads anymore.”