Source: Good News Network
The debaucherous celebration of Mardi Gras may be fun for party-goers, but it’s terrible for the environment.
The New Orleans holiday can generate up to 960 tons of trash in a year, and the iconic Mardi Gras beads are a major contributor with hundreds of pounds of plastic beads ending up in the city’s water system.
Thankfully, a biologist from Louisiana State University has developed several formulas for biodegradable Mardi Gras beads – and he already has patents pending on some of his designs.
For one of his inventions, biological sciences professor Naohiro Kato has developed a process in which to grow a species of microscopic algae called diatoms, which he can then harvest and process into a powder that can form throw beads and doubloons. After the fun is had, these celebratory throws will biodegrade in soil in about one to two years.
“I believe we can change and do better. We have great resources to make our Mardi Gras celebrations more sustainable and to protect our environment and health,” said Kato.
Kato first began his research when one of his students at LSU accidentally discovered the basic ingredients which he has since refined to produce biodegradable Mardi Gras beads.
“My student was supposed to come into the lab three nights in a row to move our test tube samples of algae from the centrifuge…
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