Question

✨Hi friends ✨

Why are balloons so bad for our planet ?

Answer 1

Balloons are no friend of the environment:  they are made from non-biodegradable plastic that breaks up into smaller plastic pieces. So superficially, over time old balloons may appear to be “breaking down”, but what is really happening is that the plastic is being broken up from macro to micro plastics, causing havoc on both a micro and macro level in the environment.  

Helium balloons cause their own special type of enviro-hell. When released into the sky they reach high altitudes, only to pop and return down to the earth. The end result is a jellyfish-looking balloon carcass (see below), which is just too tempting for a lot of sea creatures such as birds, fish, turtles, dolphins, dugongs, and even whales, to ingest. As the pH of most animals’ stomachs is not strong enough to break down balloon plastic, the balloons block the animals’ intestines and eventually the animal starves to death.

Answer 2

Recently we've explained why straws seriously suck, and pondered why all that glitters isn't gold (but is more than likely plastic). Now, I'm sorry to burst your bubble balloon, but we're breaking down why balloons aren't that fabulous either.

Although it might sound like I have a vendetta for party items, I swear to you I don't. It's just pure coincidence that straws, glitter and balloons are all items that are great for party animals, but not so great for actual animals.

What goes up must come down

Balloons are another item that we can add to the seemingly never-ending list of plastic-stuff-we-don't-really-need-but-think-we-do. The main issue with plastic is that it never biodegrades, and instead ends up on beaches or in landfill. While it doesn't biodegrade, plastic does however, break into smaller and smaller pieces referred to as 'microplastics'. This means we have plastic of all sizes and shapes wreaking havoc on the environment. Yay.

It also seems to be everywhere, infiltrating our lives in the name of convenience. It's astonishing to think that items like plastic bags, often used for no more than 12 minutes, will end up in landfill for hundreds of years. With this in mind, it seems pretty stupid to release hundreds of balloons (or even just one) into the sky.

Balloon releases and balloons in general are a fun way to commemorate a big event or decorate a birthday party, but considering the impact balloons have on ecosystemsit's just not worth it.

In a few states, cities, and countries, releasing balloons en masse is illegal, but this ban needs to be echoed worldwide. The state of NSW and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland are the only Australian places to ban the practice. Yet up to 19 balloons can still be released at a time in NSW, which poses huge threats to the environment.