Young Leadership Council and Arc of Greater New Orleans Launch Mardi Gras Recycling Initiative
NEW ORLEANS, LA – January 24, 2018: Young Leadership Council, in partnership with Arc of Greater New Orleans, announced the launch of a pilot recycling initiative for the 2018 Mardi Gras parade season. The endeavor is a collaboration between Young Leadership Council’s YLC Recycles project and Arc of Greater New Orleans, with support from Republic Services, the Krewes of Thoth and Freret, and the City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation.
The initiative will provide recycling services during two Mardi Gras parades of 2018: Krewe of Freret on Saturday, February 3, and Krewe of Thoth on Sunday, February 11. Special bags will be distributed by volunteers before and during each parade to collect Mardi Gras throws, in addition to plastic and aluminum waste. Six recycling stations will be set up along the parade routes on Napoleon Ave. and St. Charles Ave. to accept recyclables from the public. Republic Services will collect all of the co-mingled recyclables and bring them to their Materials Recovery Facility for processing.
“Bringing recycling to Mardi Gras demonstrates YLC’s mission in action,” said Stephanie Powell, Executive Director of Young Leadership Council. “This endeavor would not be possible without the leadership, vision, and determination of the young professionals spearheading YLC Recycles. We are thrilled to collaborate with Arc of Greater New Orleans to ensure that our time-honored Mardi Gras traditions are more sustainable and, ultimately, more affordable for our city.”
The City of New Orleans estimates that at least 150 tons of garbage is collected by sanitation workers during a typical parade season. Beyond their goal of reducing that number in 2018, the initiative’s organizers plan to document, measure, and refine the initiative to promote its widespread adoption by the city government.
“We are very excited about this collaborative project with YLC Recycles and other partners,” said Dr. Stephen Sauer, Executive Director of Arc of Greater New Orleans. “I believe it will be a huge step forward towards ‘greening’ Mardi Gras. For Arc of Greater New Orleans, more recycled beads and throws mean more jobs for citizens with disabilities. That’s why we’re so excited about this inaugural year. Hopefully it will be the beginning of great things.”
Initiative organizers are seeking more than 200 volunteers to staff recycling stations along the parade routes and to distribute and collect bags from parade-goers. Members of the public should visit www.ylcnola.org/mardigras to learn more about volunteering, recycling station locations, route information, and more.
About YLC Recycles
YLC Recycles is a volunteer-led community service project of the Young Leadership Council. The project’s mission is to provide on-site event recycling services and promote recycling education and awareness in the New Orleans community. Learn more about YLC and YLC Recycles at www.ylcnola.org
About Arc of Greater New Orleans
Arc of Greater New Orleans is committed to securing for all people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to develop, function, and live to their fullest potential. For over 30 years, Arc GNO has created wage-earning jobs for individuals with intellectual disabilities by collecting, sorting, repackaging Mardi Gras throws. Learn more about Arc of Greater New Orleans at www.Arcgno.org.
Media Contact:
Ryan Kreiser, YLC Communications & Engagement Manager
ryan@ylcnola.org
(504) 218-5687