Parish Proud and Keep Lafayette Beautiful (KLB) announced Tuesday that waste containers will return to Mardi Gras parade routes throughout the City of Lafayette. This year, Acadiana Waste Services (AWS) will provide 700 garbage carts strategically placed along parade routes to help manage the significant amount of waste generated during the celebrations.
These containers play a vital role in preventing litter from blowing into storm drains and onto private property—areas that are often difficult for street sweepers to reach once parades conclude.
“Keeping Lafayette Beautiful is a shared passion between Acadiana Waste Services and Parish Proud,” said Gus Dugas, President of Acadiana Waste Services (AWS). “Together we can build awareness of the many programs in Lafayette designed to protect and enhance the beauty of Acadiana.”
In addition to the placement of waste carts, Parish Proud and Keep Lafayette Beautiful are partnering to provide trash bags directly to parade floats. This simple but effective effort encourages riders to collect and contain their waste while on the float, rather than discarding packaging and debris over the sides as throws are opened.
Another important component of Mardi Gras waste reduction focuses on the thousands of beads that never make it home with parade-goers. For several years, The Arc of Acadiana has operated a successful bead recycling program that collects, detangles, and resells beads as future throws. This year, Keep Lafayette Beautiful is expanding that effort by placing bead recycling bins throughout Lafayette from February 10 through February 27. Clearly marked bead bins will be placed in convenient locations, including along the parade route, grocery stores, libraries, and restaurants—making it easy for residents to recycle their beads both during and after Mardi Gras.
“Tackling Mardi Gras litter and waste reduction through this multi-tiered approach is the goal of Keep Lafayette Beautiful. We want to give the folks enjoying the festivities accessible opportunities to stash their trash and reduce waste . “ Bess Foret, Executive Director of Keep Lafayette Beautiful
As Mardi Gras continues to grow in Acadiana, so does the responsibility to manage its environmental impact—particularly on local waterways. Over the past two years, Parish Proud and Keep Lafayette Beautiful, in partnership with the UL Office of Sustainability and
