Dive Brief:

• Arc, an organization in New Orleans, Louisiana that advocates for those with developmental disabilities, is recycling beads from Mardi Gras celebrations and selling the beads to consumers.
• Used beads are donated and collected by the organization after the festivities have ended. One of the coordinators scours the streets for discarded beads. Local college students also help gather beads in exchange for community service credit. 
• The Arc of Greater New Orleans hand-sorts the beads at its warehouse. An estimated 25 million pounds of beads are thrown at Mardi Gras. 120,000 pounds of beads were recycled by Arc in 2013. 

Dive Insight:

Arc sells the recycled beads for around $1 per pound. The bead recycling program gives jobs to people with disabilities.