Over two tons of waste collected in Recycle Dat! over first Mardi Gras weekend

Yasmin Garaad
·2 min read

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — New Orleans is taking strides toward sustainability through its Recycle Dat! initiative.

Officials with the City of New Orleans, in partnership with New Orleans & Company, announced the results of the first weekend of Recycle Dat! on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Warm weekend but cooler by Lundi Gras

Volunteers and recycling staff collected 1,828 pounds of glass, 1,436 pounds of aluminum cans and 1,462 pounds of Mardi Gras throws, successfully diverted from landfills.

According to city officials, Recycle Dat! is currently on track to surpass 2023’s number of collections.

The initiative, which started in 2023, was spearheaded by the Office of Resilience and Sustainability, NOLA Ready, New Orleans & Company, Grounds Krewe, Every Can Counts, Glass Half Full and other community partners to make Mardi Gras more sustainable.

Anyone looking to recycle during Mardi Gras can find the following options:

  • On Thursday, Feb. 8, REALCYCLE will launch a nighttime pilot pickup program for aluminum cans along the uptown parade route between Napoleon and Jackson avenues.

  • Paradegoers can give cans to REALCYCLE employees in vests on the route that evening or drop off materials at aluminum can recycling stations on the neutral ground side of the street.

  • On Saturday, Feb. 10 and Sunday, Feb. 11, Recycle Dat! will have six stationary “Recycling Hubs” for cans, beads and glass collection between Napoleon Avenue and Chestnut Street and Harmony Circle and St. Charles Avenue during the daytime parades.

  • Volunteers will distribute bead collection bags for throws people wish to recycle ahead of the first Uptown day parade on Saturday, Feb. 10 and Sunday, Feb. 11.

  • A map of all Recycle Dat! recycling locations along the St. Charles parade route is available on the NOLA Ready website.

  • The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, in partnership with REALCYCLE, will continue to recycle Mardi Gras beads at the parade parties for Endymion, Bacchus and Orpheus.

  • Residents can also drop off clean, dry and unbroken Mardi Gras beads or throws at any New Orleans Public Library location during normal operating hours until Friday, March 1.

Anyone interested in volunteering can visit the website.

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