BATON ROUGE Five hundred strands biodegradable Mardi Gras beads, formulated at LSU and manufactured in Louisiana, will be distributed along parade routes in New Orleans this season as concern grows over the tens to thousands of plastic beads that are being thrown away and their impact on our environment. LSU Department of Biological Sciences Professor Naohiro Cato has been concerned for years about the environmental impact of excess plastic from Mardi Gras. As a biologist, he is working to find solutions.
Kato stated that I support more sustainable Mardi Gras celebrations. We can still have fun, but we don’t have to throw away plastic materials.
Kato and his LSU studentsA process was developed to produce biodegradable plastic. LSU students grew microscopic algae, harvested it and processed it into a powder. This powder can then be used to create multiple products, including biodegradable Mardi Gras beads. After all the fun, these celebratory throws biodegrade in soil within one to 2 years. The necklaces made of biodegradable beads will be thrown in New Orleans byKrewe of Frerets float 1on February 19, andKrewe of Tuckss float 19 Aon Feb. 26.
This biobead, like any new technology is, represents the future. The Krewe of Freret is fascinated that an all-natural biodegradable beads, the most well-known throw of Mardi Gras could be created and manufactured right here in Louisiana. This will increase our sustainability as well as resilience.
The production of the biodegradable Mardi Gras beads parade-goers will find in New Orleans this month is labor-intensive and more expensive than the mass-produced plastic Mardi Gras balls. Kato and his students grow microalgae in a large, 18-foot tank at LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge. They harvest the microalgae twice a month from March through October. Then they bring it back to Katos lab for drying and processing. Each year, they harvest 120 pounds of dried microalgae.
Noble Plastics, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, is led by Missy Rogers, a LSU alumna. They produce Katos biodegradable Mardi Gras bead, which is a proprietary combination of dried microalgae, and a bio-based, compostable plastic. The beads are made from a mould and strung onto a hemp string. The beads are black, and each bead bears a protruding letter which together reads: MADE w/ ALGAE LSU.
The biggest challenge in production is to offset the high cost of producing biodegradable plastic, which makes it more sustainable. The cost of the biodegradable Mardi Gras-beaded necklaces was about $5 per strand. This is approximately 100 times more than an average plastic Mardi Gras-beaded necklace. The cost could be reduced to $0.20 – $0.50 per strand if they are mass-produced. Kato received some assistance by the LSU Board of Supervisors Leveraging Innovation for Technology Transfer or LIFT to help her produce 500 strands for this Mardi Gras season.2grant.
Beyond beads
Kato is improving the process of making biodegradable plastic. There are patent applications pending for various formulations and methods.
The most important part of developing this technology is to find a way to lower the cost to make biodegradable plastic. We cannot compete with the price of traditional plastics. He stated that the most efficient way to compete is by creating another revenue and then using the leftover materials for bioplastic.
Kato has identified a potential market for the extraction of compounds from microalgae. This could help offset the high cost of biodegradable polymers. The sourcing from Katos microalgae could be a benefit to the nutraceutical market, which distributes nature-based supplements, cosmetics, food, and other products. Kato has been able extract an antioxidant called fucoxanthin using microalgae from LSU. It has been proven to have natural anticancer properties. Fucoxanthin is an industry-leading product that can be sold for around $300 million. Kato claimed that he can sell 1 pound powered fucoxanthin to the tune of $5,000 and is currently waiting for a contract with a nutraceutical company for production.
The byproduct of fucoxanthin extraction includes other microalgae proteins that could be used to create biodegradable plastics that can be shaped and made into beads or other products.
Kato has received tremendous support by people, including Mardi Gras krewes who want him to create more biodegradable Mardi Gras bead.
We see the potential of using biodegradable beads to reduce plastics use during carnival, and create a more real-life conversation between carnival riders and paradegoers. Robert Reichert, Krewe Of Tucks float lieutenant, stated that it is one thing to talk about it; it is quite another to actually incorporate it in a float group.
Kato was pleasantly surprised at the desire of people to keep what they regard as a rare or precious premium Mardi Gras throw.
He said that my beads are biodegradable. They can be kept for a long period of time if they are not biodegradable.
He sees his biodegradable beads, which he makes from recycled materials, as a conversation starter about Mardi Gras and environmental sustainability.
Perhaps biodegradable plastics are not the solution to sustainable Mardi Gras celebrations. He suggested that perhaps we should produce more unique items each year that are memorable and not thrown away. Mardi Gras beads were traditionally made of glass and given out to people who loved them.
He believes that Mardi Gras needs to be culturally restructured so that there aren’t excessive amounts of plastic waste entering the environment.
He is also working to solve other plastic pollution problems. To reduce plastic pollution in the oceans worldwide, he is looking for ways to make marine floats, buoys, and other fisheries equipment from biodegradable plastic.
