Thin paper sky lanterns, lit from inside by candles that send them floating aloft, have been popular for centuries at Asian festivals, but we want them to be aware of what could be impacted. They may be beautiful as they drift off into the night, but the party could soon be over for sky lanterns. The event takes place by the sea. These trash are all bound to end up in our sea.

The impacts:

1. Livestock and animal health (including marine animals);

2. Fire risk and damage to crops and property;

3. Impact on the environment, including littering on land and at sea;

4. Risks to aviation;

5. Risk to coastal rescue services;

6. Risk to consumer safety; and

7. Threat to helium resources.

A live flame floating through the air, completely uncontrolled, is incredibly dangerous, yet the people who plan these festivals and sell the products assure people that they’re perfectly safe. The lanterns can fly up to 3,000 feet into the air and stay afloat for up to ten minutes, or whenever the flame burns out. But there’s nothing to stop the lanterns from causing harm while they’re still airborne, and a simple malfunction can cause the lantern to hit the ground while it’s still lit.

For each impact, the evidence collected was reviewed separately for sky lanterns and helium balloons and the main findings are set out below. Where appropriate, these impacts were compared to those relating to other devices such as fireworks, as requested in the ITT for this project.

Lanterns have ended up in trees and on tents. A fire blamed on a sky lantern at a plastic recycling plant in Britain in July caused $9m in damage.

 You have no control over where it lands