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Marigny Green Updates

The FMIA Marigny Green Committee shares updates, ideas, and other content to help our neighbors stay informed, get involved, and stay green 

  • April 20, 2022 6:41 PM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    Marigny Green News

    French Quarter Fest “Geauxing Green”

    French Quarter Festival returns tomorrow. It is known for the all the food and beverage choices besides an incredible line-up of music. This year the four-day festival has focused on a new program called “Geauxing Green” to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the waterways. Geauxing Green is through a partnership with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program.

    The festival vendors are using reusable, recyclable and compostable food and drink container and utensils. According to Kenneth Spears, the food and beverage director the good of the French Quarter Festivals Inc. is to reduce their waste footprint by 80%. The vendors will use dishes that are made of fiber or compostable paper. Utensils are made from sugar cane and bamboo. All the cups are made with recyclable plastic. The beverage booths will not offer straws. There are two exceptions, New Orleans Original Daiquiris and Pat O’Brien’s booths will have recyclable straws. According to Spears the event will have various sorting stations around the grounds for each “stream” of recycling and compositing. There will be a crew of volunteers, called the Green Team will be available to assist the festivalgoers. It is up to the public to dispose their dishes and beverages in the correct containers. Glass Half Full, New Orleans local glass recycling program is a partner to recycle wine and liquor bottles for the French Quarter Festival.

    Enjoy the French Quarter Festival and recycle, reuse and compost!


  • March 11, 2022 11:42 AM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    Marigny Green News

    Remember the song, “They All Ask For You” by the Meters?  The ARC of Greater New Orleans is asking you to recycle your Mardi Gras Beads. They are many drop-off places in the New Orleans metro area (see below).

    “ArcGNO is a grass roots non-profit organization founded in 1953 and dedicated to promoting the independence and well-being of individuals with intellectual disabilities. We currently assist nearly 600 individuals in the five-parish metro New Orleans region. Our support services include in-home assistance, job coaching and placement, daytime community integration, and coordination of infant care and therapies. Central to our mission are social enterprises that provide work and real incomes to individuals who might otherwise be unemployed. The Mardi Gras Recycle Center is one of these enterprises. It funds over 80 market-wage year-round jobs while at the same time making Carnival a little eco-friendlier.” more about ArcGNO at

    COMMUNITY DROP-OFF SITES

    Jefferson Parish Sanitation (Westbank)

    6440 Lapalco Blvd, Marrero

    Jefferson Parish Sanitation Department
    400 David Dr., Metairie

    New Orleans Sanitation Department
    2828 Elysian Fields

    ArcGNO

    DROP-OFF SITES

    ArcGNO Metairie Community Center
    925 Labarre Rd, Metairie
     
    ArcGNO Uptown Community Center
    1771 Nashville Ave, New Orleans


    ArcGNO Chalmette Community Center
    3700 Jean Lafitte Pkwy., Chalmette


    ArcGNO Northshore Community Center
    106 E 25th Ave, Covington

    For more information to donate and/or volunteer please contact www.arcgno.org


  • February 15, 2022 4:58 PM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    Marigny Green News

    Where Do All the Mardi Gras Plastic Beads Go?

    Mardi Gras lasts two weeks and thousands of tourists and locals attend the growing number of parades.  Each Krewe has their own “throws” and more and more are being lobbed to the enthusiastic viewers.

    It appears during Mardi Gras that spectators are more interested in screaming, “Throw me something” and struggling to catch the strands of plastic beads and other trinkets than looking at the incredible crafted floats.  The best beads are being worn merrily by the festival goers and many more beads are daggling from the trees, wrapped on electric lines and hanging on streetlights. 

    Every year over 20 million pounds of plastic beads are being shipped to the U.S. primarily from China and the largest percent of them goes to Louisiana.  With the overwhelming amount of trash generated from these parades, there is no citywide recycling program. However, many citizens and organizations are committed to not having all the plastic go to the landfill. 

    What to Do With Your Unwanted Beads?

    Arc of Greater New Orleans (ArcGNO) is a non-profit organization for people with intellectual disabilities. These individuals have jobs in a sheltered workshop to select, sort and re-pack Mardi Gras beads.  For over 30years, ArcGNO sells the beads and trinkets to Mardi Gras Krewes and individuals. The profits from the sales goes back into the non-profit.  ArcGNO runs several other businesses and employs over 80 adults. ArcGNO has a main warehouse in Metairie and is filled with employees and volunteers listening to music and helping sort through the pounds of beads.

     ArcGNO has partnered with organizations and businesses to have drop off boxes to collect the unwanted beads and other Mardi Gras throws. The drop boxes are semi-permanent so call ArcGNO (504.324.1919 ) after this season to see the updated list of drop-of spots. Some local businesses have annual drives and gives incentives to their customers for donating their beads. Even schools in New Orleans are competing to donate the most beads with a monetary reward from ArcGNO. I was pleased to learn that there is a Fair-Trade section at ArcGNO selling items such as cloth Frisbees, fabric boas from Guatemala and paper beads from Uganda. The cost is more but the quality is better and not plastic.

    The use of plastic beads has become an on-going conversation for many members of various Mardi Gras Krewes. Some Krewes have a designated float to throw back ‘your beads’ and other Krewes are using helpful throws such as flashlights, bottle openers and glass beads.

     ArcGNO is just one organization in New Orleans that recycles beads/trinkets. There is a need for so many more recycling programs.  As citizens, we need to encourage and challenge our city leaders to invest in citywide recycling of Mardi Gras beads/ throws to reduce the number of plastics that goes to the landfill.

    ArcGNO summarized it perfectly to the Mardi Gras riders, “throw smarter and less and for everyone to recycle their beads and trinkets.” 

    Happy Mardi Gras

  • January 16, 2022 1:38 PM | Anonymous

    SAVE ENERGY

    You can be effective in your household regarding energy efficiency. Our monthly bills are associated with the cost on how much energy is used. How can you help with energy waste while maintaining personal comfort to your home? These are a few suggestions to save energy in your home.

    LED’s

    A simple, low-cost way to cut energy use is upgrading your lighting to LED’s. To change bulbs over time, prioritize the lights you use the most. There are many LED options available. It is important to read the packaging in Kevin for the color temperature. It is recommended to use ENTERGY STAR®-rated products.

    Colors:

    While LED lamps are available in bright (like lighting in a retails store), soft, warm white are closer to the typical lights in one’s home. LED lights can also have an array of colors (Christmas lights and LED bulbs that change color) and assorted color strips.

    Comparing LED bulb to an incandescent bulb in terms of wattage (always read the packaging and pay close attention to the pin sockets as there are several types):

    LED 25-28 = 150 W incandescent

            16-20 = 100 W incandescent

            9 – 13 = 75 W incandescent

            8 – 12 = 60 W incandescent

            6 -   9 = 40 W incandescent

    REPLACE FILTERS

    A dirty filter can cause heating and air-conditioning system to use 15% more energy (U.S. Department of Energy - DOE). Half of your energy use is by heating and air conditioning. It is important to check the filters regularly and replace it when they are dirty. It is a habit that can reduce energy waste.

    THERMOSTAT

    Adjusting your thermostat in your home can save year-round on heating and cooling costs. The DOE recommends setting the thermostat to 68 degrees when you are home in the winter. DOE also suggests that dialing back the thermostat when you leave the house or go to sleep. It is recommended in the summer to set the thermostat at 78 degrees when you are at home and dialing it back when you are away.

    QUICK TIPS

    1. Wash your clothes in cold water
    2. Use natural light when possible.
    3. Do not leave your electronics on all day.
    4. The refrigerator and freezer operate more efficiently when full.
    5. Turn off heated dry on the dishwasher and use air dry instead
    6. Resources:
    7. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) www.energy.gov 
    8.  Entergy www.directenergy.com 


  • May 25, 2021 10:11 AM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    There are many ways to save water in your home. It is simple and requires a change of habit. Do you run the tap while brushing your teeth?  Try turning of the tap when brushing your teeth is an excellent way of saving money on your water bill.  

  • May 17, 2021 10:13 AM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    Items accepted at the City of New Orleans Recycling Drop-Off Center

    Plastics #1 and #2

    Newspaper, junk mail, phone books, catalogs, office paper

    Corrugated cardboard, Small aluminum/steel cans, E-Waste, Batteries, Television,

    Tires, Light bulbs, Mardi Gras beads

    For more information @resilient_nola#nolarecycles


  • May 10, 2021 11:19 AM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    Best Buy is committed to lighten up the landfills by their recycle program. Best Buy  reported, "They have collected over 2 billion pounds of e-waste and appliances making them the nation's largest retail collector of e-waste."

    Think about trading in your old tech to Best Buy . Check out their website,   https://www.bestbuy.com/site/services/best-buy-trade-in/ . There is a trade-in estimator to see what your item is worth. In turn, you will receive a Best Buy Gift Card.  Best Buy partners with a trusted recycle partner  (ERI) to wipe any remaining data from devices to repair and/or repurpose. 


  • May 03, 2021 2:12 PM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    Maybe this idea started with the first Star War movie or maybe someone just decided to make it the Star War Day, May be Fourth Be With You. In New Orleans, it is Give NOLA Day. This 24hour event is hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give to nonprofits in our area. Whatever your charity and/or nonprofit is, please give whatever you can offer. Any amount will be appreciated.  To find a list of the nonprofits go to https://www.givenola.org/nonprofits?_rs=1140502824

    PS  FMIA is a non-profit and  would welcome donations.

  • April 26, 2021 3:44 PM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    One of the easiest thing we can do is to bring your own bag(s)to the grocery store. The positive impact of skipping plastic bags is huge. American use 100 billion plastic bags a year which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year. Plastic bags are used for an average of every 12 minutes.

    THINK about this! It takes 500 or more years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. If someone shops  from 18 years old until they are 88 years old, they will save 350,000 bags. It is never too late to start brining your reusable bags to the grocery store and you are helping our environment.

    https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/plastic_bag_facts.html#:

  • April 19, 2021 3:49 PM | Deborah Oppenheim (Administrator)

    Vintage Green Review is a plastic free, package free, zero waste supplies and re-fill bar. Definitely check it out for their grand opening on Earth Day, April 22nd through April 25th with extended hours from 10am 6pm at 3530 Magazine Street across from Ace Hardware. Every day through the weekend will be different deals. There will be product discounts and opportunities to meet some of the local makers of  the sustainable products. Porch Pop-up with local food vendors will sell delicious treats. Bring your own containers to take them to go!

    Check out their Instagram and Facebook page at #vintagegreenreview for details.

    Don't forget to bring your totes and refillable containers.

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