I Remember when you were a kid and clung to a particular party balloon for years? I don’t remember where or how I got it, but at first it floated high and hit the ceiling, but over time it lost its buoyancy and came to rest on the carpet. But when family friends asked if they should pop the now-sad-looking balloons, I thought they were joking — like when adults teasingly ask if they should eat the last piece of birthday cake — and was distraught when they complied. I didn’t care that the balloons were dirty and partially deflated. It felt like I had that balloon forever.
This turns out to be a problem with many balloons. It’s not that clingy young children can become overly attached to them, it’s just that they can pose a significant risk to wildlife and the environment because they are often single-use plastic and even biodegradable alternatives like latex balloons don’t break down quickly. In 2019, scientists found that balloons eaten by seabirds were more likely to kill seabirds than other types of plastic, but they didn’t appear to be designated in the same way as, say, plastic straws. If anything, decorations using balloons have become popular in recent years, and balloon arches and tunnels appear not only at birthdays but also at events such as baby showers and store opening celebrations. Balloon drops are used at New Year’s Eve celebrations and graduation parties, and releasing balloons has been around for a long time, especially at funerals, where releasing helium-filled balloons signifies letting go of a loved one.
Balloon arch – a party staple. Photo: Kosamutu/Getty Images
However, there was opposition to the balloon boom from within the industry. In February, balloon seller Naomi Spittles, who runs Balloons by Naomi in Lincoln, refused to fulfill an order for 200 balloons to be released at the memorial – for which she could have charged around £600 – citing environmental concerns. “What goes up must come down and they can’t go to heaven,” she told the BBC, calling for a ban on balloon releases in the UK.
“Many people ask, ‘How do I know if my balloon is being used for a balloon release?'” Spittles says. “But if someone is ordering for a birthday, they’re going to order number-shaped balloons or a cute display. They’re not just going to order 50 helium balloons. I understand that when people are grieving, they don’t have the right brain, but when I explain why we don’t release balloons, they usually say, ‘Oh my god, I didn’t realize that.'”
To raise awareness of the balloon release issue, Spittles posted about her decision on Instagram. “We received many messages from farmers thanking us because livestock can swallow or inhale balloons,” she says. “A woman sent us a message saying her Yorkshire terrier suffocated to death on a balloon in her garden. You can’t control where the balloon falls.” Helium balloons can reach heights of 10km and are thought to be able to travel considerable distances. A balloon launched in Derby, England in 2012 was discovered in Sydney, Australia after traveling 10,000 miles.
When mourning the death of a loved one, Spittles sometimes suggests making a change instead, whether it’s buying a couple of bubble machines, spending the money on a memorial bench, or planting a tree.
Balloons and other debris removed from a sea turtle in Australia. Photo: Reuters
While not everyone in the balloon industry may want to switch to bubbles, the National Association of Balloon Artists and Suppliers is advising its members to “say no to balloon releases” to protect the environment. “To address the issue of balloon waste, we have partnered with TerraCycle to provide highly subsidized recycling bins specifically for balloons and party waste to our members,” a spokesperson said. “This waste is turned into materials for projects such as play equipment.”
Although there is no national ban on balloon releases in the UK (plastic balloon sticks are banned), they are banned in almost 100 local authorities, and releasing more than 5,000 balloons requires permission from the Civil Aviation Authority. In the United States and Australia, several states have banned or restricted balloon releases, while in countries such as Denmark and Finland, littering laws prohibit balloon releases.
A deflated helium balloon got stuck in a tree. Photo: outlook/Alamy
Like party poppers and champagne, balloons have long been associated with a sense of ritual, but that wasn’t always the case. The first rubber balloon was created in 1824 by scientist Michael Faraday, who invented rubber balloons for use in laboratories. He used rubber balloons to contain the gas used in his research, but he also said that hydrogen-filled balloons had “considerable upward lift.” A year later, the balloons were sold to the public. It consisted of two circles of soft rubber, the edges rubbed together until they stuck together, albeit as a sort of DIY kit that allowed the inner part to be inflated.
However, by 1873, the New York Times predicted that balloons would go beyond meteorological and military uses and “will always be an interesting addition to the entertainment of public gatherings.” Slate took a closer look at how balloons became a staple party accessory, and surmised that the main reasons were that “balloons were cheap, colorful, and people liked watching things fly.”
Balloons have also played an important role in pop culture. It’s been used from Nena’s “99 Luftballons” (a song reportedly inspired by the release of balloons at a Rolling Stones concert) to being wielded by Stephen King’s creepy clown Pennywise and even being used to power a house into the air in the Pixar film “Up.”
“Balloons are definitely becoming more popular just because celebrities are carrying them,” Spittles said. In 2021, Khloe Kardashian celebrated her daughter True’s third birthday by filling her bedroom with pink balloons. It’s the same year that footballer Harry Kane posed next to a balloon arch and wished his partner a happy Valentine’s Day. Last August, Selena Gomez shared a photo of her bachelorette party surrounded by balloons in Cabo, and it seems like just about every reality TV star has shared a photo of an impressive pneumatic display in recent years. No wonder the general public is following suit. “Now people have it for gender reveals and engagement parties, but that didn’t happen before,” says Spittles. “But when people see celebrities on TikTok and Instagram holding big events, they want to do those things.”
This is your future, indeed…A aluminum foil balloon abandoned in a Michigan lake. Photo: Live Throw/Getty Images
It wasn’t until the late 1970s that foil (or Mylar) balloons, made from thin sheets of nylon coated with a metallic layer of polyethylene, were invented. These are lightweight, shiny balloons that are most often used to create shapes such as numbers or love hearts. They have also come under heavy criticism because not only are they not biodegradable, but when released they can conduct electricity and interfere with power lines.
Spittles is not alone in wanting a complete ban on balloon releases. Sisters Daniel and Chelsea Vosburg founded the nonprofit organization Balloons Blow 15 years ago after noticing a significant increase in balloon trash during family beach cleans in Florida. Their Instagram currently has more than 16,000 followers, and their website provides a portal for the public to report release plans in the United States, as well as resources for those interested in learning more about balloons’ impact on the environment. “Before contacting us, please try stopping the balloon release yourself,” says a note above the online contact form. “We receive so many reports that we can’t keep track of them all.”
The Vosburgs liken releasing the balloon to “throwing a death trap into the environment.” “Latex balloons are falsely advertised as being biodegradable. They’re made with additional chemicals and dyes, so they last for years,” says Daniel. “The ruptured debris mimics a food source for animals on land and in the sea. The balloons cause blockages in the gastrointestinal tract, causing slow starvation.”
They also point out that the helium used in floating balloons is a finite resource, especially one needed to run things like MRI scanners. They quoted Cambridge University chemist Peter Wothers, who in 2012 called for an end to helium-filled party balloons, saying: “In 50 years’ time, our children will say, ‘I can’t believe we used such a precious material to fill our balloons.'”
A murre caught in a balloon in Northumberland. Photo: David Steely/Balloonsblow.org
In 2020, researchers found that balloons advertised as “100% biodegradable” did not meaningfully degrade after 16 weeks in industrial compost, remained recognizable in shape, color, and consistency, and continued to pose a threat to wildlife. “Marketing latex balloons as ‘biodegradable’ is tantamount to greenwashing because the balloons did not break,” says study co-author Morgan Gilmore. “Once released, balloons can travel hundreds of miles on air currents to remote areas on land or ocean, where they become uncleaned up and become garbage and marine debris.”
“What most consumers don’t realize is that shaping the milky white natural rubber latex sap into products known as balloons requires the addition of many chemicals. These chemicals include antioxidants and These include anti-fog agents (to prevent the balloons from looking cloudy), plasticizers (to increase flexibility), preservatives (to keep the balloons on warehouse or store shelves for months), flame retardants, fragrances, and of course dyes and pigments. …That’s why balloons cannot be made of 100% natural rubber latex. ” Gilmore doesn’t buy balloons himself because he believes bubbles are “much more fun.”
And of course, the foam will not pollute the beach. Lizzie Price, beachwatch manager at the Marine Conservation Society (MSC), said: “Our state of our beaches data for 2025 shows that nearly 40 per cent of UK beaches surveyed had discarded balloons. MSC is therefore proposing a range of alternatives to balloons, including colorful streamers, flags and banners, which also have the benefit of being reusable. When it comes to foam, the MSC recommends lighting up the foam with a torch as it flies away, saying “the effect is amazing”.
The Balloons Blow website also warns people to avoid other forms of commemorative bird releases, including sky lanterns, butterflies and pigeons. Although these do not have the same impact on the environment, they pose other problems. Instead, suggestions include ribbon dancing, drumming, paper pompoms and the distribution of wildflower “seed bombs.”
“There is no need for balloons of any kind to contribute to a landfill that is already overflowing,” says Daniel Vosburg. Perhaps it’s time to let go of the balloon once and for all, but not literally.
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