by Lee Cutrone
A satiny-soft 45 rpm record, pink quilted "brains" and a bright red, lip-shaped cellphone bag: The growing movement to reduce the amount of waste generated by Carnival — especially plastic — has yielded some clever collectible throws at recent parades, courtesy of ricRACK, a sewing and textile-recycling nonprofit based in Central City.
More than 200 throws were given to krewes at no charge. Grant money from Louisiana Division of the Arts covered production costs, and the materials came from RicRack’s sizable store of donated fabrics, specifically, leftovers from making float riders' costumes.
This is the second year for RicRack's Throw Me Something Handmade initiative, which aims to drum up support for its brand of creative reuse and to increase the conversation around environmentalism at large.
“It gets the word out,” said RicRack Executive Director Lizz Freeman Kelly. “There is strength in numbers. The more people that join the chorus, the more we can make the difference, and even the smallest difference can really move the needle.”
This project is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council.
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