Mardi Gras Recycle Dat – Every Can Counts

2024 “Recycle Dat” Mardi Gras Recycling Initiative

In 2024, Every Can Counts U.S. joined the City of New Orleans in partnership with New Orleans & Company, Grounds Krewe, and several other organizations to make Mardi Gras more sustainable by providing six recycling hubs along the Uptown Mardi Gras parade route to collect aluminum beverage cans, beads, and glass.

All beverage cans collected along the Uptown parade route were redeemed at the local EMR Metal Recycling facility, which paid market rate for the cans. Every Can Counts doubled this market rate payout and then the revenue generated was given to local charities.

In addition to beverage cans collected along the parade route, community members were encouraged to bring empty used beverage cans – with Every Can Counts doubling the market rate payout (separate from the route matching funds) – to the EMR Metal Recycling Mid-City location (2525 Lafitte Street) to get paid via personal check for the value of the used beverage cans (terms and conditions apply).

Here are the results:

Total pounds of aluminum beverage cans collected: 10,677; almost double the amount collected last year — 5,659 pounds.

Amount collected along the parade routes for the two-weekend leading up to Fat Tuesday: 4,302 pounds vs 1,429 last year.

Pounds of used beverage cans brought directly to the local recycler – EMR Metal Recycling: 6,375 pounds, which is up from 4,230 pounds last year.

Total Revenue Generated: $8,114, which includes the ECC US doubling of the market payout. Three local charities split the money generated ($3,270) from selling the used beverages cans collected along the parade route — the Pontchartrain Conservancy, which works to preserve and restore the Lake Pontchartrain Basin; Zeus’ Rescues, which works to eradicate pet homelessness and euthanasia within New Orleans; and NOLA Cans 4 Food, which uses aluminum recycling revenue to cook meals for the city’s community fridges.

Link to article that explains the initiative and results: Keeping a Lid on Carnival Trash – The Lens NOLA

2023 “Recycle Dat”
Mardi Gras Recycling Initiative

Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) catalyzed a partnership with a variety of local organizations to recycle more aluminum beverage cans during Mardi Gras 2023. Instead of going to landfill, many thousands of aluminum beverage cans were sold for revenue that CMI doubled and went to charity or local residents. Notably, the aluminum in those beverage cans will now be available to be turned into new cans.

In total, 142,974 used beverage cans (UBC) were collected and sold to a local metal recycling facility, generating $3,854 (UBC market value of $1,927 plus CMI financial match) for local charities and residents. Nearly all (93%) of recycled UBCs become new cans, which means these empty cans will almost certainly be turned into new ones. Additionally, more aluminum available to be recycled enables the aluminum beverage can industry to build on the beverage can’s average 73 percent recycled content, which will lower the greenhouse gas emissions associated with aluminum beverage can manufacturing. In fact, the carbon emission savings from recycling the cans collected in this pilot effort is equivalent to the emissions from driving a car a little more than 35,000 miles.

UBC collection during the initiative supported local charities and allowed people to earn extra cash. CMI doubled all the revenue generated from selling the UBCs collected along the parade route. The money raised was split between three local charities—Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Louisiana SPCA, and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. CMI also doubled the market rate payout for UBCs brought directly to EMR Metal Recycling, and redeemers could either put the money toward the three local charities or keep it. Two-thirds of the cans collected were brought directly to EMR, and the rest were collected along the parade route. Read the full press release.