Popular Mardi Gras Throw Banned? Louisiana Revelers React

As much fun as Mardi Gras brings to communities such as Lafayette, Church Point, Eunice, Abbeville, Lake Charles, and Kaplan there is a certain amount of anxiety that comes along with the jocularity.

For Mardi Gras float riders there is the pressure of deciding what throws to purchase ahead of the parade. For Mardi Gras revelers the anxiety relates more to one's physical ability to catch the throws as they are being tossed from a passing float.

But perhaps the greatest bit of Mardi Gras anxiety doesn't lie with the float ride or the bead catcher, it lies with the Department of Public Works which has to clean up all the mess that Mardi Gras parades leave behind. And in particular, there is one throw that is earning the ire of Public Works and Sanitation crews across the Gulf South.

Now, if you weren't aware there have been major improvements in Mardi Gras throw technology over the past several years. Manufacturers have responded to municipal government requests for beads and trinkets that are easier to remove from the trees, streets, and gutters, where a parade has passed.

There have even been major improvements in biodegradable Mardi Gras beads or even Mardi Gras beads with seeds that can sprout wildflowers along the streets and sidewalks long after Carnival season has passed. But there is one Mardi Gras throw that is apparently on the chopping block in one Gulf South city.

That city is Mobile, Alabama and the Mardi Gras throw that could be "no longer allowed" in parades there is the popular nighttime attractant, the glow stick. You're probably thinking it's the "goo inside the glow-stick" that is causing the problem. And you'd be wrong. The chemicals that combine to create a luminescent glow are not considered to be toxic. No, you shouldn't drink them but as a rule, the chemical makeup isn't the problem.

The problem according to City of Mobile leaders is the sheer volume of plastic that is used in the manufacture of glow sticks and glow necklaces. The reason that's a problem is because of the chemicals in glow sticks those plastics can't be recycled. The glow sticks and necklaces also have a tendency to "gum up" street sweepers too.  That's why civic leaders in Mobile are saying "No to the Glow".

Is it possible such a ban could be heading to Louisiana Mardi Gras Parade routes? It is possible. Here are some items already banned along the routes in New Orleans. This list is courtesy of WWNO Radio in New Orleans. 

Portable toilets
Confetti cannons
Tents, canopies, shelters, screens, awnings, ropes, spray paint, any other type of barricade
Open flames like barbecue grills
Gas or diesel generators
Upholstered furniture, including sofas and chaise lounges, scaffolding, platforms, ladders taller than six feet
Additionally, ladders must not be fastened together and must be 6 feet back from curb
Chairs and other personal effects shall be placed at least 6 feet back from the street curb
Personal items left on the public right-of-way for four or more hours may be removed and discarded.

They didn't mention glow sticks and glow necklaces in this updated list so I guess you're good to go. Just remember, those plastics can't be reused or recycled so make sure you're making a choice that matches your feelings on the environment when you choose the throws you choose to use this Mardi Gras.