Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) and Keep Lafayette Beautiful (KLB), a Keep Louisiana Beautiful affiliate, are pleased to announce that it has been awarded an $8,000 grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful to tackle the issue of Mardi Gras litter and waste. This grant will enable LCG’s Environmental Quality Division and KLB to launch Clean Up Krewe, a comprehensive Mardi Gras Recycling Campaign, to minimize the environmental impact of Lafayette’s week-long Mardi Gras celebrations.

Through Clean Up Krewe, LCG and KLB will implement various strategies to address the issue of litter and waste generated during parades. Plastic bags will be provided to krewes to dispose of discarded beads responsibly and throws packaging and trash. During and after Mardi Gras, recycling containers will be strategically placed along parade routes and other easily accessible locations, such as libraries and grocery stores, to encourage the general public to recycle discarded beads. Those beads will go to the LARC Beads-N-More program, where individuals with developmental disabilities are employed to sort and bag them. LARC then sells them to benefit its Vocational Services Department.