Balloon releases have been used to celebrate events or honor the memory of someone that we've lost. That tradition has been going on for years. Schools even release them during football games, they are sent floating into the air at running events, and they are released by people at funerals, weddings, and memorials. And while those who organize and participate in balloon releases have the best intentions, what they fail to consider is what happens when those balloons land, and when they do, the results are detrimental to marine animals and wildlife.
Impact of balloons
Balloons negatively impact the environment by littering lakes, streams, and beaches. It is basically the same as intentionally throwing trash into the ocean or the ground. Even balloons marketed as biodegradable or Eco-friendly can still take years to disintegrate. This means that they are not better for the environment than standard balloons.
When balloons make their way into the water, their floating pieces and tattered ends can resemble jellyfish or other sea life that is consumed by marine animals like fish, sea turtles, and dolphins. When the pieces of latex or Mylar are mistaken for food and are ingested, they can get lodged in the digestive tract, inhibiting the animal's ability to eat, and it can cause a slow and painful death by starvation.
Effects on wildlife
Wildlife can also fall victim to balloons and its strings when the pieces fall to the ground or onto bushes and trees. Birds have been found injured with ribbons wrapped around their wings or beaks, and have strangled themselves when they become entangled in strings that are attached to power lines and trees. And just like marine animals, they can succumb to a painful death after ingesting balloons.
The negative impact on animals and the environment prompted the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and local chapters of the National Audubon Society to urge people to stop releasing balloons and instead find alternatives that are more humane and those that are safer for animals and the planet. Several states and cities in the U.S and abroad have also passed laws regarding mass balloon releases after years of witnessing their effects.
So what can you do in order to save marine animals and wildlife? If you know someone planning a balloon release, it is best to urge them to consider one of the earth and animal-friendly options instead. There are so many other symbolic acts that do not involve the use of balloons.
One alternative is using bubbles. Bubbles are not only fun, but they can create amazing photo ops. Watching hundreds of bubbles float up into the sky can be mesmerizing and just as symbolic as seeing a balloon float away, but without the resulting of litter and endangerment to wildlife and marine animals.
Luminaries are also a beautiful way to honor and to memorialize your loved ones. Instead of writing messages on balloons and releasing them, you can write messages on recycled paper bags or reusable glass jars with candles placed inside to create a lighted path, or spell out a word or name. Each person can bring their own bag or jar home afterward as a personal keepsake.
Another beautiful way to create a memory that can last for years is planting trees and wildflowers. You can give a little something back to nature. Another fun idea is to have people release milkweed seeds, which can help the population of monarch butterflies thrives by replenishing depleted supplies of the milkweed plant that is essential to their survival.
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