It's hard to think of anything more commonly associated with Mardi Gras than plastic beads but those soon might be a thing of the past. The plastic beads can be seen littering the roads following any Mardi Gras parade and especially in New Orleans they're causing a huge problem in storm drains. In 2017 crews cleared over 93,000 lbs of beads from drains not to mention the 1,200 tons of trash collected and put in landfills last year.

LSU might have a solution for the problem with algae-based beads that are biodegradable. The beads are made to last around 2 years which means they won't melt in the rain or fall apart in your hands. Currently, the team is working on a launch for the beads in time for next years Mardi Gras season.

For this year if you have beads leftover please don't throw them away there are many other options you can do which you can find HERE!

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