The Hidden Costs of Plastic Mardi Gras Beads: A Call for True Accountability

Every year, millions of plastic Mardi Gras beads rain down in New Orleans, a colorful spectacle masking an inconvenient truth: these cheap trinkets have become an environmental nightmare. Once cherished glass keepsakes have given way to mass-produced plastic beads from overseas—discarded by spectators and left to smother the city’s storm drains. The result? Over 46 tons of this waste recently clogged drainage systems, amplifying flood risks in a city already vulnerable to natural disasters.How long will federal and local officials allow this reckless disregard for public infrastructure to continue? For families and taxpayers footing the cleanup bill, it’s clear that...