7 ways to revel in an eco-friendly Mardi Gras

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras">Mardi Gras</a> will be in full swing soon, and while it may be a traditional festival of excess, that doesn't mean it has to be wasteful. There are a lot of simple ways you can enjoy the Carnival and keep your eco-friendly wits about you. Hit the jump for our top 7 ideas!

<h3>Recycle your Beads</h3> Mardi Gras "throws", the trinkets thrown by Krewe members from floats to parade goers have a pretty rich history. Modern throws, however, are largely made up of cheap plastic strings of beads, which end up littering the streets or thrown into trash cans. Some groups have started recycling these beads, such as Arc of Greater New Orleans, who follow parades with their <a title="nola.com: 'Catch and Release' trailer brings instant Mardi Gras bead recycling " href="http://www.nola.com/mardigras/index.ssf/2012/02/catch_and_release_trailer_brin.html">"Catch and Release" float</a>. The group encourages parade-goers to throw their beads back. Arc then sorts and resells the beads to Mardi Gras Krewes, reducing cost for the Krewes and wastage for everyone. The money <a title="Arc of Greater New Orleans" href="http://www.arcgno.org/">Arc</a> earns from sales goes directly back to their non-profit work. If you find yourself catching beads in a city where it's not so easy to recycle, you can always try your hand at <a title="Stephan Wanger: Galeria Algreia Recycled Bead Art" href="http://www.galeriaalegria.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=79&amp;Itemid=28">recycling them into colorful art work</a>.

<h3>Regift Collectable Throws</h3> In amongst the masses of plastic beads, you might be lucky enough to snag some more collectable throws. Traditional glass beads, commemorative doubloons, customized beads, decorated coconuts and all manner of flashing <a title="Trevor Williams’ Luminous Invading Forms are Actually Light Graffiti" href="http://inhabitat.com/trevor-williams-glowing-invading-forms-are-actually-light-graffiti/">LED</a> toys are just some of the items you might catch — and no, you really don't need to remove your clothing to get them. If the trinkets aren't your thing, there's almost certainly a kid around too short to catch the throws, pass them along to those who'll enjoy them and they'll be far less likely to wind up in <a title="Portland Oregon is the Latest City to Ban Plastic Bags!" href="http://inhabitat.com/portland-oregon-is-the-latest-city-to-ban-plastic-bags/">landfill</a>.

<h3>Bring a Reusable Cup</h3> If you're celebrating Mardi Gras in a City with more liberal open container laws, such as New Orleans, bring your <a title="Tervis Tumblers Are Functional and Reusable For Summertime Fun" href="http://inhabitat.com/tervis-tumblers-are-functional-and-reusable-for-summertime-fun/">reusable cup</a>. Chances are you'll patronize more than one bar on your Mardi Gras travels, and while commemorative plastic cups are a treasured throw from various Mardi Gras Krewes, you certainly don't need to collect (and throw out) a different cup from each bar you visit.

<h3>Bring a Reusable Water Bottle</h3> It's pretty important to stay hydrated through Mardi Gras Festivities, but waiting in line to buy <a title="Is Drinking Bottled Water Worth Trashing the Planet?" href="http://inhabitat.com/is-drinking-bottled-water-worth-trashing-the-planet/">bottles of water</a> is neither environmentally friendly or a fun use of your parade time. Bring a reusable water bottle with you and you'll be free to focus on the party, plus you'll be surprised how many establishments provide Cambros of water for you to fill up your container with. It's free, and often the line is much shorter than the one for more adult beverages.

<h3>Make your Own Costume</h3> This is a bit of a Mardi Gras no-brainer. While it's perfectly possible to pick up feathered masquerade headgear around a lot of parades, Mardi Gras is the perfect opportunity to channel your creative side and make a bright, fabulous festive outfit of your own. Dig through your own closet for any big-mistake purchases, embarrassing 80s relics or unwanted hand-me-downs and go to town. Check out thrift stores for gaudy colors and feather boas. If you're feeling ambitious, you can turn your old <a title="Squidoo: How to Make a Venetian Mask" href="http://www.squidoo.com/make-venetian-mask">newspapers into Mardi Gras masks</a>. There are no rules to Mardi Gras costuming, so run wild and reuse.

<h3>Ride a Bike!</h3> With any Mardi Gras celebration comes large crowds, and very often a certain amount of festive drinking. Bring your bike instead of your car, and not only will you find it easier and safer to get around, you'll also avoid guzzling gas in traffic jams. If costume making got your creative juices flowing, you can even think about decorating your bike! If you're joining Mardi Gras on vacation, look around bicycle <a title="San Francisco Set to Launch Electric Bike Sharing Program" href="http://inhabitat.com/san-francisco-launches-its-electric-bike-sharing-experiment/">rental</a>, and perhaps consider taking a bike tour while you're there.

<h3>Support or Join a Green Krewe (Or Start One of Your Own)</h3> This one's a little more ambitious and takes a little more planning than other items on this list. Eco-aware Mardi Gras Krewes are beginning to pop up, and they have a lot of ground to cover. Aside from from the proliferation of plastic throws, Mardi Gras floats are often largely made of paper mache and crepe paper, and pulled by tractors or trucks. In New Orleans Krewe of <a title="Krewe of Kolossos" href="http://www.kolossos.org/index.html">Kolossus</a> made their <a title="WGNO: Krewe Of Kolossos Uses Trash To Go Green For Mardi Gras" href="http://www.abc26.com/news/newswithatwist/wgno-krewe-of-kolossos-goes-green-for-mardi-gras-20120116,0,4322547.story">floats from recycled trash</a> and other salvaged materials, while new-comer <a title="Verdi Gras" href="http://verdigras.org/home.htm">Verdi Gras</a> are make their beads from newspaper and salvaged wood in an effort to create a <a title="Mardi Gras goes green if resident has her way" href="http://www.nola.com/mardigras/index.ssf/2012/01/mardi_gras_goes_green_if_resid.html">greener Mardi Gras less dependent on imported plastic goods</a>. Chattanooga's smaller Mardi Gras celebrations come complete with <a title="Mardi Gras Chattanooga" href="http://www.mardigraschattanooga.com/">pedal-powered</a> floats. In most cases, anyone can join a Mardi Gras Krewe, though membership dues vary wildly. There's huge room for growth in the push for a green Mardi Gras, so if you can, jump in an support those who are working towards a greener Carnival!