Balloons may look beautiful, but they have a lot of ecological concerns related to them. Balloons are hazards if they enter our environment. Each released balloon, whether it is released with intent or not, reaches the earth as dirty litter, including those sold as biodegradable balloons.
Balloons kill uncountable animals & cause risky power outages. Balloons can travel t several miles and contaminate the most remote & unspoiled places.
They return to our land and sea where they can be used as food & eaten by several animals. Sea turtles, whales, birds, and dolphins have been testified with balloons found in their stomachs, and ribbons, as well as strings, can cause choking, causing death.
Table of Contents
Types of balloons
There are two types of balloons according to their biodegradable nature. Generally, two types of balloons are:
Latex balloons
Even though latex balloons are deliberated as biodegradable balloons, this will take almost six months to four years to decay & they can cause loads of devastation before they do.
According to the researchers, balloons deteriorate very slowly while floating in seawater, & even after one year, they can still maintain their elasticity.
This type of balloon floats for only 10 to 12 hours, but it will take more than one year to degrade them, long enough to frequently wrap around or be swallowed by turtles, aquatic birds, & marine mammals.
Researchers who work with whales, aquatic birds, dolphins, & sea turtles have reported balloons, balloon string, and balloon parts in the stomachs of several dead animals. Volunteers have reported 4,228 latex & and mylar balloons only from New Jersey beaches in 2003.
Mylar balloons
These balloons are not categorized as bio-degradable balloons & should not be released. They are made out of mylar nylon, which is developed for the US space program. These balloons are made by mylar and are frequently coated by using a metallic finish & come in different shapes and printed designs.
These balloons are less friendly to our environment, and they are produced by metalized polyester, which is ugly in both production as well as disposal.
The PROBLEMS They Pose
1- A threat to Wildlife
Inflated balloons that return to our earth or sea poses a threat to wildlife because of their possibility of getting ingested due to beautiful color or their tassels & ribbons creating the perfect trap for wildlife to become tangled.
Free-flying balloons turn into the garbage; at worst, these balloons threaten animals. When flying, they can travel thousands of miles, and then result in joining the debris riding oceans of the world.
Atmospheric Administration & The National Oceanic recognizes balloons as a generally reported cause of marine debris.
2- A threat to the environment
Several biologists have identified the harmful effects of latex balloons on aquatic wildlife. Recently, scientists have seen shocking evidence of what balloons can do to native wildlife too.
Naturally found latex is eco-friendly and decomposable, but, as stated by Rubber Technology, natural latex is treated with zinc oxide, ammonia, and tetramethyl-thiuram-disulfide as an antibacterial against bacterial decay.
Balloons are generally made by using a small quantity of plasticizer. These balloons are hardly categorized as natural after all that. Without any doubt, sewage treatment plant workers describe that latex is one of the numerous problem resources that are not affected through biological handling.
Marine garbage is a big fear for the Environmental Protection Agency. What balloons do not drop inland will frequently fall in the sea. Then, they become part of marine debris and cause the death of several aquatic animals.
A report found on the EPA website titled as Ocean Conservancy Beach Debris Data tells around 1000 balloons collected from rivers & the coast. On the other hand, The Ocean Trash Index shows state-by-state as well as country-by-country information about ocean garbage collected & checked by volunteers throughout the world.
Cleanups cannot resolve this pollution issue alone.
But, the Ocean Trash Index gives a picture of what is rubbishing our marine life; thus, we can take part to prevent some specific substances from reaching the ocean in the first place.
It is for that motive that a few states, including California, Tennessee, Florida, New York, Virginia, & Texas, have now passed legislation confining the release of balloons not utilized in a scientific experiment.
Scientists of Blue Ocean Society have been reporting debris detected from whale watch ships off the New England shorelines for above eight years. According to the research, balloons have become the most common rubbish over the last six years.
What Are Biodegradable Balloons?
Biodegradable or environmentally friendly balloons are prepared by 100% natural latex, which is reliably sourced to give businesses, clients, & event planners, generally, a biodegradable alternative to regular balloons.
Biodegradable latex rubber is used to form latex balloons, and it is a natural product that originates from the fluid of the Hevea Brasiliensis (a tree that propagates in warm climates.)
Then, it will collapse when exposed to the permanent elements of nature. It means that these eco-friendly balloons are just defined to be tree liquid that is molded & dried.
If our balloon products are open to the world, at that time, the oxidation will support them to ultimately breakdown, and this happens within the early hours of inflation & is most apparent when the balloon is exposed to the direct sunlight or even normal outdoor conditions.
And astonishingly, the total time for any balloon to biodegrade is considered to take almost the same interval as an oak leaf.
Note
The natural product utilized while making biodegradable balloons is obtained from the fluid of rubber trees. These trees fight greenhouse gases, reducing global warming. Then latex harvesting stops deforestation.
What is Latex?
- Latex is a flexible material prepared from rubber, which is made out of rubber trees sap generally found in Malaysia.
- Latex is obtained by tapping the rubber tree in a way that does not damage the tree.
- When latex is treated, each part of the product is used.
- When the tree stops producing latex, it is harvested & its wood is turned into lumber.
- Each year old-trees are collected, new trees are implanted, and CO2 is consumed.
Latex balloons can be prepared into a wide range of colors, shapes, & sizes. And they can be inflated by using regular air as well as helium. Once the helium if filled in them, because of the gas, the balloon will float & rise to the top, but the balloons filled with air do not.
Is it unsafe to release helium balloons?
Most of the time, balloons are filled with hydrogen, which is volatile and, therefore, a severe safety risk. Currently, we use helium or air to fill balloons.
Why are balloons filled with helium?
Helium is used for most of the balloons on special occasions to release them as it is very light. Helium is less dense as compared to the air, that is why it floats up. One liter of air weighs 1g, but one liter of helium weighs 0.1785g.
Balloons having air in them will not float. It means that helium is more hazardous rather than air because balloons filled with helium are more susceptible to become litter or to be entangled in electricity lines.
Is helium dangerous to breathe?
If you buy a helium balloon & then inhale the helium. When you do this, this will take your voice on a high pitch, which individuals often find humorous.
When you inhale the helium from a balloon, it will not cause any health problem, but it does deprive your ability to take oxygen from the blood. When you inhale more helium, the more oxygen will be sucked out from your body.
It means that the oxygen level of your body can drop to a dangerous level when you inhale an excessive amount of helium, which could cause sudden death.
But, passing out is the most horrible thing that will occur, there is not sufficient helium in a balloon to be deadly. The real threat is that you will hurt yourself if you fall by passing out.
Is helium biodegradable?
At this moment, we know we use those materials to make the balloons which are not biodegradable. However, is helium biodegradable that we use in balloons?
Oxygen-filled balloons are ok as it is readily available. The same we cannot say about helium because helium is a byproduct of natural gas processing. So, this should be the main reason to avoid using balloons filled with helium.
Helium-filled balloons are wasting a precious resource
Helium is the second amplest element in the world, yet, helium is scarce on earth.
On earth, helium is generated by the natural radioactive degeneration of heavy radioactive elements, for example, uranium. When helium is released, then it will keep moving until it escapes the earth.
It is estimated that the industry of balloons uses around 5 to 7 percent of the overall helium usage. This may not look like a lot; however, there are more important things that helium must be utilized for.
We can say, helium is essential for MRI scanners, and this cannot work without using liquid helium. Moreover, liquid helium is also needed to study the quantum effects. Several most recent scientific innovations would not have been conceivable without using liquid helium.
Helium is a precious & non-renewable resource, which is essential for medicine as well as science. Using helium to fly balloons is a massive waste.
Top biodegradable balloon choices
1- Qualatex balloons
Qualatex balloons are the most excellent biodegradable balloons, which are 100% eco-friendly. They contain the best color collection, perfect durability, & the best product quality all around.
As a producer of balloons, Qualatex has experienced and a great staff that is aware of environmental problems. That is why they are a better option when selecting biodegradable balloons.
2- The 2ft Biodegradable Latex Balloon
For creating an incredible visual impact, these big 2ft latex balloons are delivered having a choice of print of equal to 1 color on four sides & are formed with whole biodegradable soft latex.
You can select any of these colors such as white, red, light blue, yellow, dark blue, pale blue, pink, orange, pale pink, and black.
Additionally, you also have your choice of the diversity of customization, accessories, and extra information when you get your quote.
3- 3ft Biodegradable Latex Balloons
Very similar to 2ft creation of balloons, but offering even more influence to your event, this option of the 3ft latex eco-friendly balloons help especially within the brand or event stand campaigns and deliver one-color print on four sides.
In addition to that, you are provided an even more broad color selection within this range! With red, light blue, white, yellow, mild blue, pink, orange, pale pink, lilac, black and clear.
For your comfort, these huge 3ft latex balloons can float for about 24 to 36 hours; it means that they are the best choice for long events, without the concern of them changing in look. They will also start to cloud about 12 to 24 hours once inflate.
4- 10” and 12” Latex Biodegradable Color Print Balloons
As an expert in-house balloon production brand with above 30 years’ experience. Now the company leads the way in creating remarkable biodegradable party goods, which feature a wide variety of 10” & 12” multi-colored balloons that offers the choice of several colors, laser-sharp designs & artwork together with first-class registration.
Mainly, this range contains the extra features fit for two sides of the print, equal to four ink colors, & most significantly an incredibly wide variety of colors, which consists of:
- White
- Yellow
- Turquoise
- Red
- Mid blue
- Black
- Assorted
- Apple green
- Vanilla
- Pink
- Sky blue
- Lime green
- Bright green
- Ocher
- Cocoa brown
- Prune
- Night blue
- Leaf green
- Rose
- Wild pigeon
- Forest green
- Cornflower blue
- Almond
- Orange
- Royal Lilac
- Clear assorted
- Royal blue
Final thoughts
In brief, latex balloons are filled by using helium & if released into our environment, they will decay at a fast rate as compared to regular balloons, & with that, the air currents and wind scatter them far-off separately. Furthermore, it may be that these balloons found on beaches or in the wildlife were inaccurately disposed of by us.
These biodegradable balloons are made by using natural rubber, not plastic, and even synthetic rubber which means we get natural rubber from the trees, and those finally help the soil, wildlife as well as everybody around us!
