Photo Friday | Project Front Yard + Krewe of Rio

Since January 6, Mardi Gras season has been in full swing, with balls just about every weekend. Lafayette's first parade rolls this Saturday, as Krewe of Rio kicks off the parade schedule.

This year, Krewe of Rio has teamed up with Project Front Yard to help make their parade a little less wasteful. Last weekend, Skyra and Lisa with Project Front Yard visited the krewe's float staging space and helped collect cardboard boxes and plastic bags as krewe members loaded up their beads for throwing.

The cardboard boxes were saved for recycling collection, and the plastic bags will go toward Project Front Yard's school project Plastic Bag Roundup.

Collecting the trash at the start will make a huge impact on the amount of waste left behind by the floats.

Tomorrow evening, Project Front Yard volunteers will serve as the final float, walking the parade route to pick up recyclables and waste. The cleanup aims to help divert parade waste from becoming litter on our streets, in our yards and in our waterways, and to help divert recyclables into the recycling stream.

“The Krewe of Rio is proud to partner with Project Front Yard to set an example of how to have fun and also be environmentally-conscious. “We recognize that Mardi Gras is an important component of our community culture and a huge tourism asset. We want to maintain the beauty of our neighborhoods and streets as well,” said Larry Comeaux, Krewe of Rio President. “We hope that our example creates a domino effect for other parades and events in Lafayette to follow.”

“Project Front Yard was founded on the principle of community pride and we are excited to work with Rio to create a sustainable approach to Mardi Gras. We love when community members take ownership and pride in showcasing a clean and fun way to ‘Laissez les bon temps rouler,’” said Skyra Rideaux, Project Front Yard Coordinator.

Three years ago, Project Front Yard held its inaugural Krewe of Rio parade cleanup, which I really enjoyed participating in. (Head into my archives for that recap blog post!)

We got a great workout, in addition to saving a ton of trash from becoming litter, and collecting a ton of beads to donate to LARC for their resale program (check out my blog post on LARC's efforts).

If you're heading out to the Krewe of Rio parade or any other parade in Acadiana, make sure to pack food and drinks in reusable containers and pick up any waste you may have before you leave!