Residents are encouraged to recycle at hub locations along parade route or bring used aluminum beverage cans to recycling facility  

New Orleans, LA - January 25, 2024 – This Carnival Season the City of New Orleans is again partnering with New Orleans & Company, Grounds Krewe and Every Can Counts U.S. with support from other non-profits dedicated to resilience and sustainability, on the Recycle Dat! initiative to expand upon the Arc of Greater New Orleans’ and Grounds Krewe’s well established Carnival recycling efforts.  

During the 2023 Carnival Season, the city recycled 1,475 pounds of aluminum, 1,500 pounds of glass and 11,535 pounds of Mardi Gras beads and throws with the help of the Recycle Dat! partners. 

Residents can do their part by taking advantage of the following recycling options: 

  • Recycle Dat will operate both “Recycling Hubs” and “Can Stations”; a map of all Recycle Dat recycling locations along the St. Charles parade route is available on the Nola Ready website. 

  • Six stationary “Recycling Hubs” for cans, beads and glass collection between Napoleon Ave & Prytania St. and Harmony Circle & St. Charles Ave 

  • Volunteers will distribute bead collection bags ahead of the first day parade (Feb. 3-4 and Feb. 10-11). 

  • The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will continue to recycle Mardi Gras beads at the parade parties for Endymion, Bacchus and Orpheus. They are partnering with REALCYCLE to do recycling and bead collection, and the beads will be delivered by ARC of Greater New Orleans. 

Disclaimer: While the Recycling Hubs will accept empty glass bottles, it's important to note that glass is not allowed on the parade route (City Ordinance Sect 54-404). We discourage parade goers from using them along the route.   

All empty aluminum beverage cans collected along the Uptown parade route will be driven to the EMR Metal Recycling Mid-City location (2525 Lafitte Street), which will pay market rate for the cans and then the revenue generated will be given to three local charities – Pontchartrain Conservancy, Zeus’ Rescues, and NOLA Cans 4 Food - with Every Can Counts U.S. doubling the money raised along the route up to the first $5,000.  

In addition to cans collected along the parade route, community members are encouraged to bring empty used beverage cans - with Every Can Counts U.S. doubling the funds up to the first $5,000 (separate from the route matching funds) between February 1-15 - to the EMR Metal Recycling Mid-City location for one of the following options: (1) donation to the local charities or (2) personal check. 

"While Mardi Gras is meant to be a time of celebration and indulgence, it does not mean we cannot make the season healthier for our environment as well,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “Recycle Dat! has become an international model for mitigating plastic contamination and decarbonization, as aligned with our Climate Action Plan. The efforts of NOLA Ready, the Office of Resilience and Sustainability, New Orleans & Company and all our community partners to create a more sustainable Mardi Gras culture are truly unmatched. We could not achieve this goal without all of our partners, our dedicated volunteers and the residents willing to take the extra step to recycle while having fun."    

“We are pleased to be an integral part of this program making Mardi Gras and our community more sustainable,” said Walter J. Leger III, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company. “The growing list of organizations working together in this initiative contributes to how New Orleans is becoming a more innovative city for our locals and visitors. Travelers today increasingly choose cities to visit based on their environmentally friendly practices. We believe that the things that make New Orleans a great place to live and visit also make it more attractive to visitor and Recycle Dat! is a perfect example.” 

"Grounds Krewe is excited to see New Orleans take its next big step towards low waste parading with Recycle Dat 2024. Additional sponsors for this year's effort will allow for a more comprehensive program that harnesses the power and expertise of six local recycling organizations,” said Brett Davis, Director of Grounds Krewe. “We are happy to be leading the way on both ends of Mardi Gras sustainability: preventing waste by providing quality, locally sourced parade throws and diverting recyclable waste from the landfill." 

"Keep Louisiana Beautiful, with support from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, awarded Grounds Krewe a Greener Grounds grant for their work leading the Recycle Dat! parade recycling initiative in Orleans Parish," says Susan Russell, Executive Director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful. "Recycle Dat! partners are making commendable strides toward creating a cleaner Mardi Gras and we hope others will follow their example. This carnival season, we should all commit to properly disposing of our trash, and unwanted parade throws, and recycling to protect our environment from litter." 

“The aluminum beverage can industry is pleased to be launching its Every Can Counts U.S. chapter around its second year of supporting Recycle Dat!,” said Scott Breen, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Can Manufacturers Institute. “Beyond providing financial support to operate Recycle Dat! and to double the relatively high market value of used beverage cans to benefit local charities or residents, the Every Can Counts U.S. chapter’s Instagram page is also running a contest with exciting giveaways for those that share photos of themselves recycling used beverage cans at Mardi Gras and tag and follow the account.” 

The NOLA Ready Volunteer Corps needs your help! The Corps is supporting several different operations throughout the Mardi Gras season including the Recycle Dat!, special needs Mardi Gras balls, canvassing St. Charles Avenue and to work at First Aid stations. In 2023, over 150 volunteers joined Recycle Dat! partners to collect empty aluminum beverage cans during the Carnival Season. You can sign up to become a volunteer on the NOLA Ready website here. 

To learn more about Recycle Dat! please visit ready.nola.gov/mardi-gras/recycling/.