Keep Tampa’s waterways bead-free! Remember that throwing beads or any other items in the water is prohibited according to Florida Statute 403.413. Help us protect our marine ecosystems by keeping beads around your neck, and OUT of our waterways.
Beads and other non-biodegradable items are incredibly harmful to our environment and pose serious threats to marine wildlife. They take a thousand years to break down into smaller pieces called microplastics, which never decompose. These microplastics remain persistent in the natural ecosystems for hundreds of years or longer.
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Did you know your festival beads can be reused?
In partnership with the MacDonald Training Center, salvaged and dropped off beads can be reused year after year keeping them out of the waste stream and more importantly, out of the bay. Clean and sanitized beads are packaged and sold back to parade crews for other City events. All proceeds go back to the MacDonald Training Center to fund career and education programs.
Stay tuned for drop-off locations and dates!
