Sydney Mardi Gras is coming out - as green. And taking it's twirling baton to the head of the eco consumer parade with 3 big changes this year. The biggest and bravest move is a glitter phase out, which along with banning balloons will completely change the face of the event. Single use water bottles will also be yesterday's news - banned from all Sydney Mardi Gras major events during the 17-day festival.In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras chief executive Terese Casu said the event also aimed to be completely carbon neutral within five years.Annually, the event brings in about three tonnes (you read that right) of Chinese glitter, a micro-plastic which finds its way into the gutters, then oceans, then in fish, crab shells and oysters. And finally, back into us.With the phase-out, parade floats are also being encouraged to use LEDs, fluorescent and lanterns instead of the toxic micro-plastic. The long held environmentally sound practice of recycling and re-using props and floats from previous festivals is still a feature of the event.The commitment to be carbon neutral and impose blanket bans sees Mardi Gras join an already highly visible international movement against glitter and plastics at major events. Britain is also leading here, with 61 music festivals determined to ban glitter and single-use plastics by 2021.