Each year, local Mardi Gras krewes work tirelessly to present the most impressive costumes, biggest floats, and best throws for the Carnival season. With more than a dozen krewes in Lafayette, the revelry increases with each parade. This year, Project Front Yard (PFY) and the Krewe of Rio are collaborating to set the standard in a new category: greenest parade.
By picking up and recycling before, during, and after the parade in 2018, PFY volunteers and krewe members reduced the overall waste by about 24 percent. 4,600 pounds of cardboard and 400 pounds of plastic film were recycled at the start of the parade and more than 5,300 pounds of beads were collected along the route and donated to LARC.
“It’s through projects like this that I know we have an outstanding Krewe and leadership on our floats. Every member was supportive and did everything they could to make Mardi Gras as “green” as possible in 2018,” said Rachelle Meaux, Krewe of Rio Board President.
PFY and the Krewe of Rio look to exceed these impressive numbers in 2019 with the support of the community. Volunteers are needed to walk in the parade, promoting the program, and picking up litter and debris. All PFY volunteers will receive a commemorative t-shirt. Due to the length of the parade route, ages 10 and up are recommended.
As the Krewe of Rio and PFY work to streamline the parade waste collection and recycling process, they hope to inspire other krewes to take a proactive approach towards a cleaner, greener Mardi Gras.
To register as a volunteer for Project Front Yard’s Rio parade walk on February 23, visit gnomenation.lafayettela.gov or on the Project Front Yard Pick-Up Event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/242630799993560/.
Krewe of Carnivale en Rio Mardi Gras Parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in downtown Lafayette and end at Cajun Field. For more information about the Krewe of Rio, visit www.riolafayette.com.
Project Front Yard is an initiative of Lafayette Consolidated Government created to mirror Lafayette’s festivals, food and music, the proverbial “backyard,” to an equally welcoming “front yard,” with litter-free streets and waterways, beautiful public art, revitalized gateways, enhanced streetscapes, and more.
To learn more about Project Front Yard visit https://projectfrontyard.org/.
