Video - Greener Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras throws are usually the one part of parades you can take home. For people like Katrina Brees, the throws should be memorable and from her perspective, sustainable. party, celebration, Mardi Gras, Carnival, lent, celebration, sustainable, sustainability, improvements, better, waste, garbage, plastic,

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A More Sustainable Carnival and Mardi Gras
Video - Verdi Gras

Video - Verdi Gras

Verdi Gras from Sarah Tilotta on Vimeo.

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A More Sustainable Carnival and Mardi Gras
Video - Greener Mardi Gras

A More Sustainable Carnival and Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is getting greener. Carnival is a major event that is celebrated in many places around the world including New Orleans, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean. Although this party is well known for over the top excess, here are some of the initiatives, organizations and companies that are helping to make the festivities more sustainable

Each year over 25 million pounds of beads are distributed during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. This amounts to over $1 billion of Mardi Gras beads. Many of these toxic petroleum based beads are manufactured in factories where workers are treated inhumanely. These mostly plastic strings of beads are both the most popular "throws" and one of the most hazardous. Over 60 percent of the Mardi Gras Trinkets tested were above the US Consumer Product Safety Commission limit for lead in children’s products of 100 parts per million (ppm). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 40ppm as a limit. These trinkets are unregulated and the toxins in them leach into the environment.

Scary Halloween Consumer Statistics

One of the scariest parts of Halloween is the tons of non-biodegradable waste generated by wrappers, decorations and Halloween costumes. Halloween is the second biggest decorating holiday of the year, surpassed only by Christmas. Halloween is also a major retail event that has grown substantially in recent years. In 2005 US, consumers spent approximately $3.29 billion on Halloween. In 2010, even after a deep recession, Americans spent $5.8 billion for the holiday.

Scary Halloween Consumer Statistics

One of the scariest parts of Halloween is the tons of non-biodegradable waste generated by wrappers, decorations and Halloween costumes.

Halloween is the second biggest decorating holiday of the year, surpassed only by Christmas. Halloween is also a major retail event that has grown substantially in recent years. In 2005 US, consumers spent approximately $3.29 billion on Halloween. In 2010, even after a deep recession, Americans are expected to spend $5.8 billion.

Consumers are spending increasing amounts of money on Halloween. According to the National Retail Federation, the average American consumer planned to spend $48.48 in 2005. According to the 2010 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Action Survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average Halloween spending by Americans in 2010 is expected to be a little over $66.00 per adult. That's up from $56.31 spent in 2009.

Of the top four things that most people buy, three have a heavy environmental footprint. The first is candy, the problem here is the non-biodegradable packaging. The second most popular item people buy is pumpkins, properly composted, this is the best of the four from an environmental standpoint.

The two worst Halloween buys for the environment are decorations and costumes. Both are commonly made of plastic that do not break down. Plastics also contain endocrine-disrupting phthalates toxins including Bisphenolic Compounds like BPA.

In 2008, Halloween retail sales reached an all time high of nearly $6 billion nationwide. In 2009, as the effects of the recession set in consumers began making changes to their Halloween purchasing. Total spending on Halloween declined to $4.75 billion in 2009. Consumers expected to spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween in 2009, down from $66.54 in 2008.

Increased consumer frugality reduces Halloween's environmental impact. One 2009 survey reported that 46.5 percent of consumers said they would buy less candy and 35.4 percent said they would use less decorations. Almost two in ten people (16.8 percent) planned to make their own costumes instead of buying and 15.8 percent planned to reuse 2008 costumes.

In 2010, about 30 percent said economic concerns are affecting their spending plans. The 2010 survey reports that while consumers are continuing to be frugal, they are planning cutbacks in candy but not costumes. However, store bought costumes, particularly those made of plastic, are a big part of Halloween's footprint.

Two out of five Americans are planning to wear a costume in 2010, that is up from one-third last year. Four out of ten Americans are planning to spend an average of $23.37 for costumes. In the 18- to 24-year-old group nearly 70% (69.4%) are planning to wear a costume. A survey by National Retail Federation (NRF) showed that costumes will be the single largest expense.

About 11.5 percent of consumers are planning to dress up their pets for Halloween.

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Food and Water

Vertical Farming: Valcent, a company based in El Paso, Texas, is pioneering a space efficient hydroponic-farming system that grows plants in rotating rows, which expands food supplies without using more land. The rotation gives the plants the precise amount of light and nutrients they need, while the vertical stacking enables the use of far less water than conventional farming. The company claims it will use 95 percent less water than conventional agriculture, increase crop yields 20-fold for the same amount of land, and eliminate pesticide and herbicide use.

Green inventions for Water: This invention enables the extraction of water from the atmosphere. The Solar Powered Water Purifier eliminates the need to boil water using wood or coal. There are currently 1.2 billion people in the world living without clean drinking water.

Reusable Fruit and Vegtable Bags: As revealed in the sneak peek of G Magazine's list of the year's 10 most innovative eco-products, there have been a few interesting green inventions from Australia in 2009 including Greensacks, a finalist in the 2009 news.com.au Green Awards. Greensacks are reusable, lightweight mesh bags designed to replace small, single-use plastic fruit and vegie bags. A reusable alternative to plastic bags will reduce the current Australian use of over 10 million plastic bags a day, which take between 15 and 1,000 years to break down.
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Organic Standards: Certified Labels

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Miscellaneous Consumer Goods

The Environmental Toothbrush: Developed in Australia, this toothbrush uses bamboo and biodegradable polymer bristles rather than plastic. These brushes break down into compost, leaving no residue. Hundreds of millions of non-renewable plastic toothbrushes are discarded annually, adding 1,000 tonnes to landfill.

Another toothbrush design has a slot in the handle that squeezes toothpaste completely out of the tube. Rather than discarding it, this brush can be re-purposed for cleaning.

Greener Alcohol: An organic liquor company by the name of TRU alcohol offers spirits that are USDA certified organic from the field to the bottle. TRU’s packaging is light and sustainable - meaning everything is recycled, recyclable or biodegradable. TRU plants a tree for every bottle sold to replenish forests and paper stocks.

Remote Controls: Shake & Control remote control works by pressing or shaking. The Wind Up Remote Control works by winding a crank on the control. Both remote controls eliminate the need for batteries.

Water-Powered Clock: Simply fill it with water and a squeeze of lemon juice and it will run accurately for six to eight weeks without an external power source.

Green Inventions In Fabric: The Wonderland Project has unveiled the dissolving dress also known as catalytic clothing. These clothes can harness pollutants that would then be neutralized by washing. Clothes have a massive surface area, and this surface could be used to purify the air.

The Danish fashion industry made a green statement with the fashion show 'Innovating Sustainable Fashion' in Copenhagen on December 3. Karin Eggert Hansen, student at the Danish Design School made a collection out of the material from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
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Next: The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Education / The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Food and Water

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The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Energy Production
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