RecycleDat! initiative sees nearly 197,000 cans recycled at Mardi Gras

The US-based RecycleDat! Coalition, led by Grounds Krewe, New Orleans & Company, Every Can Counts US, Glass Half Full, Osprey Initiative and the City of New Orleans’ Office of Sustainability, alongside presenting sponsors Entergy Corporation and Dr Pepper, has announced the 2026 achievements of the initiative in its fourth year of promoting a more sustainable Mardi Gras.

The RecycleDat! Initiative successfully diverted 61,219 pounds of recyclable materials from landfills during the 2026 Carnival season. This total includes 6,142 pounds of aluminium, which is roughly 197,000 cans; 1,691 pounds of plastic, which is roughly 76,000 bottles; 34,741 pounds of glass, which is roughly 46,000 bottles: and 18,646 pounds of Mardi Gras beads and throws. Building on prior success, this year’s programme introduced new strategies and expanded geographically, demonstrating the growing demand for sustainable Mardi Gras practices across the region.

“RecycleDat! 2026 showed what’s possible when strong partnerships and community participation come together,” said Brett Davis, founding director, Grounds Krewe. “Each year, we’re seeing more people embrace the opportunity to celebrate Mardi Gras in a way that’s both fun and responsible. The continued growth of this program reflects a real shift in how our community approaches sustainability during Carnival and beyond.”

“Every Can Counts US was proud to sponsor RecycleDat! for a third consecutive year. Our goal was to recycle as many used beverage cans along the Mardi Gras parade routes, as well as in New Orleans bars and restaurants, and at Recycle World, where we exhibited an aluminium PixelCan art display,” said Scott Breen, president of Can Manufacturers Institute, lead organiser of Every Can Counts US. “When recycled, 97% of aluminium beverage cans become new cans, and on average, aluminium beverage cans go from recycling bin to a new can in less than 60 days. Best of all, the cans collected this year will be sold to a local scrap yard – EMR Metal Recycling, with the revenue generated donated back to Grounds Krewe, supporting future recycling efforts in New Orleans.” 

“This year’s programme demonstrated the power of making recycling visible, accessible, and engaging,” said Franziska Trautmann, co-founder and CEO, Glass Half Full. “From on-route recycling to partnerships with local businesses, we’re creating systems that make it easy for people to participate and be part of the solution. It’s exciting to see that momentum continue to build across the city.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to see the sustainability impact of Mardi Gras continue to grow in New Orleans and beyond,” said Ellie Mallon, executive operations lead at Osprey Initiative. “Each year, we’re inspired by the increasing commitment from our partners and the expanding engagement from the community. We’re proud to be involved for another year and grateful for the continued support from key partners who are helping drive meaningful, lasting change.”

This year’s initiative featured a combination of returning programmes and new innovations designed to maximise waste diversion:

Can & bottle sweep expansion (including Nomtoc parade)
A major highlight of the 2026 season was the expansion of the Can & Bottle Sweep programme, including its debut on the Westbank following the Nomtoc parade. Building on a 2024 pilot that covered 10 blocks of the King Arthur route, the 2026 programme expanded to cover 40 blocks of the Uptown route following the Krewe of King Arthur and 20 blocks of the West Bank route following the Krewe of NOMTOC, significantly increasing its reach. RecycleDat! crews conducted targeted post-parade sweeps to collect aluminium cans and plastic bottles before sanitation clearing, increasing recovery of high-value materials and expanding the programme’s footprint beyond traditional Uptown routes. This year’s effort between the two parades diverted 815 pounds of aluminium, 330 pounds of plastic and 75 pounds of glass.

On-route recycling hubs
8 recycling hubs returned along Napoleon Avenue and St Charles Avenue during peak parade weekends, providing convenient locations for parade-goers to recycle aluminium cans, glass and plastic bottles, and unwanted throws during the Muses Parade and day-time parades both weekends. This year’s effort diverted 4,868 pounds of aluminium, 1,351 pounds of plastic, 3,840 pounds of glass and 5,944 pounds of beads and throws.

Raise the bar programme
Through partnerships with local bars and businesses, the Raise the Bar programme continued to divert thousands of pounds of glass and aluminium, reinforcing year-round recycling habits within the hospitality sector.  Supported by Glass Half Full and Every Can Counts US, this year’s effort diverted 326 pounds of aluminium and 28,569 pounds of glass. The list of participating bars can be found at groundskrewe.org/raise-the-bar.

Hotel pick-up programme
Through a partnership with The French Quarter Management District and Glass Half Full, French Quarter hotels place bins around their hotel for guests to fill with their unwanted beads and throws, helping to divert materials generated by visitors and extend recycling efforts beyond the parade route. This year’s effort diverted 10,077 pounds of unwanted parade throws so far, with hotel pickups continuing this week and next. The list of participating hotels can be found at groundskrewe.org/hotel-throw-recycling.

Convention centre waste diversion efforts
In partnership with the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, post-Carnival ball waste diversion efforts continued to capture recyclable materials generated during major Mardi Gras events. Led by the Convention Center team, this work focuses on recovering beads, throws, and glass following large-scale Carnival balls, helping to divert significant volumes of material from landfills and extend sustainability efforts beyond the parade route. This year’s effort diverted 2,100 pounds of glass and 2,625 pounds of beads and throws.

Early season parade engagement (Krewe of Bohème & Krewe du Vieux)
RecycleDat! programming also kicked off early in the Carnival season through partnerships with Krewe of Bohème and Krewe du Vieux. These efforts included on-the-ground collection through marching recyclists and post-parade recovery, helping to capture recyclable materials and build early momentum for the broader initiative. This year’s effort between the two parades diverted 133 pounds of aluminium, ten pounds of plastic and 157 pounds of glass.

Recycling rewards programme
The popular Recycling Rewards initiative incentivised participation by offering prizes such as festival tickets, hotel stays, restaurant gift cards and local experiences to individuals who recycled eligible materials at collection hubs. This year, the rewards programme engaged over 300 participants on the route, driving a collection of ~10,000 bottles and cans, and 450 bags of unwanted parade throws.

Recycle World
Recycle World, through the continued support of Coca-Cola, returned as an interactive, on-route hub for real-time sorting, recycling education, community engagement, and creation of a PixelCan Art Installation supported by Every Can Counts US. Located along the parade route, the space provided hands-on opportunities for residents and visitors to learn about recycling while contributing directly to material diversion efforts, further increasing visibility and participation.

For more information on Mardi Gras sustainability efforts, visit: recycledat.org.