<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/02/the-dark-side-of-the-balloon-boom-is-it-time-they-were-banned>
"I remember, as a child, hanging on to one specific party balloon for what
seemed like years. I don’t remember how or where I acquired it, but it had
initially floated high, bobbing against the ceiling, and, over time, lost its
buoyancy, coming to rest on the carpet. Yet, when a family friend asked if they
should pop the now sad-looking balloon, I assumed they were joking – like when
an adult asks, teasingly, if they should eat your last slice of birthday cake –
and was distraught when they followed through. I didn’t care that it had become
grubby and partly deflated – I’d had that balloon for what felt like for ever.
This, it turns out, is the problem with many balloons. Not that clingy young
children might become over-attached to them, but that they are often a
single-use plastic – and even biodegradable alternatives such as latex balloons
do not decompose quickly, meaning they can pose a significant risk to wildlife
and the environment. In 2019, scientists found that balloons eaten by seabirds
are more likely to kill them than other kinds of plastic – yet they do not seem
to have been earmarked in the same way as, for example, plastic straws. If
anything, balloon-based decor has become more popular in recent years, with
balloon arches or tunnels deployed not just at birthdays but at events ranging
from baby showers to shop openings. Balloon drops are used at New Year’s Eve
celebrations and graduation parties, and balloon releases have also endured –
particularly at funerals, where the unleashing of helium-filled balloons
signifies the letting-go of a loved one.
But there has been some pushback against the balloon boom – even from those
within the industry. In February balloon seller Naomi Spittles, who runs
Balloons by Naomi in Lincoln, cited environmental concerns when she refused to
fulfil an order for 200 balloons – for which she could have charged about £600
– that were to be released at a memorial. “What goes up must come down, and
they don’t go to heaven,” she told the
BBC, while calling for balloon
releases to be banned in the UK.
“A lot of people ask: ‘How do you know if your balloons are being used for a
balloon release?’” Spittles says. “But if someone is ordering for a birthday,
they’re going to order number-shaped balloons or a pretty display – they’re not
just going to order 50 helium balloons. I get that people are not in the
correct headspace when they’re grieving, but when I explain to them the reasons
that I don’t do balloon releases, they’re usually like: ‘Oh my God, I didn’t
even realise.’”
To raise awareness of the balloon release problem, Spittles posted about her
decision on Instagram: “I had a lot of farmers message me to say thank you,”
she says – as livestock can ingest or inhale balloons. “I had a woman message
me to say her yorkshire terrier choked to death on a balloon in the garden. You
have no control over where the balloons land.” Helium balloons are thought to
be able to reach a height of 10 km and can travel significant distances: in
2012, one launched in Derby, England, was found in Sydney, Australia, having
travelled 10,000 miles."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
