BATON ROUGE – Mardi Gras just got a little greener. An LSU researcher and his team of graduate students have designed biodegradable Mardi Gras beads that can be produced using 3D printers and contain embedded seeds for planting.
The project began in August 2024 and has rapidly progressed in research and prototyping. Leading the initiative is Professor Naohiro Kato.
LSU graduate student Alexis Strain has played a key role in the project, focusing primarily on designing and prototyping the beads. She explained that the beads are made from biodegradable materials that break down in the environment, allowing the embedded seeds to be naturally “planted.”
The team plans to make the 3D printing blueprints open-source, enabling anyone with a 3D printer to create the beads. While the files have not yet been officially released, Strain said the team is refining the instructions and expects to make them available soon.
Once the blueprints are public, the team hopes to gather user feedback to improve the materials and production techniques.
Currently, two types of materials are used to create the beads. The first is biodegradable and produced by bacteria.
“The bacteria produce a compound that can then be turned into a filament,” she explained.
The second material is derived from corn.
“They take a compound from corn, and they are able to turn this into a type of plastic which can then be printed.”
So far, the bacteria-based beads have shown promising degradation results, while the team continues to study the breakdown and characteristics of the corn-based version.
The team is also researching using a variety of printers, including Bambu and Ender 3D printers, to ensure that consumers will be able to print beads using the most commonly used printers on the market.
Benefits of these beads
Mardi Gras is a cultural staple of Louisiana, and beads are synonymous with the revelry. According to Explore Louisiana, part of the Louisiana Office of Tourism, an estimated 25 million-plus pounds of beads are thrown annually in the parades.
According to Strain, many beads are currently petroleum-based and some contain heavy metals, which can potentially cause health concerns.
“Switching the material just to another type of polymer has some improvements, because we are able to have non-petroleum based beads and there’s the potential for these to be biodegradable,” she said.
Since these biodegradable beads can be 3D printed, they can be produced locally within Louisiana communities rather than being imported from overseas, which is the current norm.
“This can be more of a community-based project by using 3D printing as a source of manufacturing these beads,” she said.
According to LSU, the team plans to scale up production using 3D print farms, making it easier for Mardi Gras krewes to distribute the beads in large quantities at future parades. However, mass production will depend on securing adequate funding.
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