Balloons – Festive but Harmful
Balloons are festive party decorations, but it’s important to realise the potential harm they can have on our environment.
Released balloons (especially helium) can travel long distances before they burst and fall to the earth or sea. This poses extreme risks to sea creatures like birds and turtles that mistake them for food (jellyfish). Swallowing balloon pieces can cause internal blockages, leading to starvation and death. The strings attached to balloons can also entangle and strangle animals. For these reasons, releasing balloons is illegal in Queensland.
Balloons and their ribbons contribute to plastic waste when they fall to the earth or are disposed of in general waste (landfill). They take years to degrade, never completely breaking down and releasing micro plastics into the soil, air and waterways. Also, helium balloons contribute to the depletion of helium, a non-renewable resource.
Here are some decoration ideas to replace balloons:
• Fabric or paper bunting
• Paper chains
• Paper streamers
• Flowers (real or paper) in
jars or as wreaths
• Paper pom poms
• Fairy lights or candles
hung in glass jars
• Party curtains
• Kites
• Bubbles.