All released balloons return to Earth as ugly litter – including those marketed as “biodegradable latex”. Balloons kill countless animals and cause dangerous power outages. They can travel thousands of miles and pollute the most remote and pristine places. Balloons return to the land and sea where they can be mistaken for food and eaten by animals. Sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and birds have been reported with balloons in their stomachs and ribbons and strings can lead to entanglement, causing death. Balloons are also a waste of helium, a finite resource that is used for MRI equipment, liquid fueled rockets, microchips and fiber optic cables. Scientists have said that helium shortages are delaying research and driving up costs.
What you can do to help wildlife and the environment:
- Never release a balloon into the air.
- Pick up any balloons or ribbons you find and dispose of them by cutting the string or ribbon off, cut it up and put it into a trash container.
- For party favors or centerpieces, choose edible or plantable items that are less likely to end up in the trash. Buy local flowers or plants from farmers markets or farm stands, or, for real freshness, find a “pick your own” location.
- If for any reason you end up with a balloon, when done with it, pop it and dispose of it by cutting the string or ribbon off, cut it up and put it into a trash container.
Learn more at https://balloonsblow.org.
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