Balloons are Bad for the Environment

[JI7]

this is something we usually don't think of when trying to avoid things harmful to the environment.

but it shouldn't be too difficult considered to many other things since it doesn't provide anything like getting to a different location, food, or any other convenience.

there can be many other alternatives to it easily since it's just decor.

[wasupaloopa]

1. What balloons? Why? Where ?

[JI7]

2. just everywhere. parties, grand openings, balloon releases etc

[wasupaloopa]

4. What do balloons do? I have seen some of those silver ones laying on the beach we go to.

They don’t deteriorate.

[GulfCoast66]

3. The new war on balloons? Balloons are the new plastic straws?

Forgive me if I don’t join this battle. Got too many pressing issues.

[USALiberal]

12. Some people can multitask! Nt

[TlalocW]

5. Yeah, I'm not going to jump on this bandwagon

As I'm a balloon twister and do some decor. I don't do balloon releases, and I very rarely use mylar. I can't control what people do with their balloon dog after I give it to them, but I'm very meticulous about cleaning up my scraps after a job and disposing of them correctly. Yes, balloons can be bad for the environment, and I applaud the efforts to bring more attention to disposing of them properly, not doing releases, etc. The balloons I use are 100% biodegradable latex created from the sap of rubber tree plants in the Amazon. Each tree can go about 30 years giving sap, and the demand for balloons encourages companies to take care of the rain forest and plant new trees.

What are the other alternatives to decor? Paper products which of course come from cutting down trees. The latex balloons encourage the planting of trees, are biodegradable, and oftentimes, if the client doesn't want to keep the mylar balloons, I can release the air in them and re-use them. And decor doesn't provide anything either like getting to a different location, food, or any other convenience. Why aren't you just anti-decor?

TlalocW

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. thanks for the info

Those mylar things are awful.

I had assumed synthetics were used for other balloons, too, until you posted.

[Beaverhausen]

6. Balloons pose a risk to wildlife & the environment. ...

Balloons pose a risk to wildlife & the environment. ... 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.

https://encenter.org/visit-us/programs/birthday-parties/balloons/

[lunasun]

7. 100%

[HAB911]

11. +++++++++++

[Skittles]

8. balloon releases are just plain LITTER

[JHB]

10. Helium balloons are also a waste of irreplacable helium

[Liberal In Texas]

13. We need to save the helium for BLIMPS ! n/t

[JHB]

14. 10 Uses for Helium: More Than Balloons and Blimps

https://www.rockymountainair.com/blog/10-helium-uses/

(just headings copied below, see link for full text)

Medical Uses

1. Heliox mixtures in respiratory treatments for asthma, bronchitis and other lung deficiencies
2. MRI magnets

Technology

3. High speed Internet and Cable TV
4. Mobile phone, computer and tablet chips
5. Computer hard drives

Science

6. Cleaning rocket fuel tanks
7. Microscopes

Industry

8. Airbags
9. Detecting leaks, such as in the hull of a ship
10. Shielding in welding

[dalton99a]

15. +1. Nothing on Earth Can Replace Helium - and It's in Peril

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/opinion/helium-shortage.html