Mardi Gras gives planet a shimmery glimmer of hope and goes green

There is arguably no more a glittery or gay an event than that of the topless men, drag queens and colourful parade goers at Sydney’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mari Gras. This year though, offers something different. Revellers are trading in their sparkly rainbow stripes for something a little more eco-friendly with event organisers revealing that the major event is going green. Sydney Mardi Gras has not only committed to phasing out glitter (shock), but balloons and single-use plastic water bottles from their major events, too. When talking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Terese Casu, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras chief executive revealed, “we used to bring in about three tonnes of glitter from China.” “That goes in the gutter, it ends up in our oceans, our fish eat it, you find it in crab shells and oysters. We must be responsible and make really urgent changes,” she said. Production manager, Liz Carter, is joining the campaign helping many of the parades iconic floats “go green” by encouraging the use of LEDs, lanterns and fluorescent lights. “You have to think about the environment. Every festival has a carbon footprint and everyone has to think about that,” she said. For those looking for an equally shimmery environmentally friendly option, there are plenty of options available such as BioConfetti or Glitterazzi. See more at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras website.