Now that plastic straws seem headed for elimination, are balloons next?
Releasing balloons into the air has long bothered environmentalists. They say falling balloon shards can be deadly to seabirds and turtles. So as companies vow to banish plastic straws, there are signs balloons will be among several products to be getting more scrutiny—even though they’re a very small part of environmental pollution.
This year, college football powerhouse Clemson University is ending its tradition of releasing 10,000 balloons into the air before games. In Virginia, a campaign for alternatives to balloon releases at weddings is expanding. And a town in Rhode Island outright banned the sale of all balloons earlier this year.
“There are all kinds of alternatives to balloons,” says Kenneth Lacoste, first warden of New Shoreham, Rhode Island. Lacoste cites posters, piñatas, and decorated paper as festive possibilities.
Following efforts to limit plastic bags, the anti-straw push by environmentalists has gained traction recently, partly because they’re seen as mostly unnecessary. (See “Waging War on Plastic” from WORLDteen.) Companies including Starbucks and Disney are promising to phase out difficult-to-recycle plastic straws, which often end up as trash in the ocean. The push may bring attention to other items people may not have considered—like celebratory balloons.
Emma Tonge of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says balloons are especially hazardous to marine animals, which can eat the pieces or get entangled in the strings.
The Balloon Council (yes, it’s a real organization!) reports that a few states already restrict balloon releases. Laura McKay of the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program says, “We don’t want to say don’t use them at all. We’re saying just don’t release them.”
(AP Photo: Balloons released before an NCAA college football game)
