What Makes This Different
Most conversations about sustainable throws focus on material swaps: biodegradable plastics, recycled content, or compostability.
Art of the Parade focuses on desirability.
If a throw is unwanted, it becomes trash no matter what it’s made from.
If it’s wanted, it’s kept, reused, displayed, traded, or collected.
That shift from material to meaning is where real waste reduction happens.
About the Work
Art of the Parade develops and produces:
- Recycled-glass doubloons and beads
- Plant-based and reusable throws
- Artist-designed objects meant to be caught, kept, and valued
All designs are informed by real parade conditions: what survives the route, what people carry home, and what ends up on the ground after the crowd moves on.
This is not theoretical sustainability. It is field-tested, parade-tested, and redesigned season after season.
About Michael Esordi
Michael Esordi is a New Orleans-based artist, designer, and parade organizer with more than a decade of experience creating large-scale public culture through walking krewes and seasonal events.
As a Krewe captain and active parade participant, Esordi designs sustainable throws from the inside of parade culture, not as an outside observer. His work is shaped by firsthand experience: throwing, watching, collecting, and studying what actually works during Carnival.
His broader practice centers on creativity, sustainability, accessibility, and community participation in public celebration.
Press-Ready Quotes
Quotes may be used with attribution to Mike Esordi, Art of the Parade.
“If it’s not kept, it’s not sustainable, especially at Mardi Gras.”
“The biggest myth is that sustainability is about swapping materials. It’s really about desirability.”
“We don’t just make sustainable throws. We make throws worth keeping.”
“Changing behavior reduces more waste than changing materials alone.”
“A throw that becomes a keepsake never becomes trash.”
Areas of Expertise
- Sustainable Mardi Gras throws
- Parade culture and walking krewes
- Design-led waste reduction
- Circular economy in celebration culture
- Artist-driven sustainability models
Michael Esordi is available for interviews, commentary, and background on sustainable throws, Carnival culture, and design-based approaches to waste reduction.
