Please sign the following petition to ban the intentional release of balloons in Michigan to help protect our environment, wildlife, natural resources, and economy.

Banning the intentional release of balloons will have significant positive impacts, including preserving the health of our Great Lakes and surrounding ecosystems, protecting wildlife and livestock, and preventing costly infrastructure disruption from balloon/power line entanglements.

Why is this issue important?

• Mylar and latex balloons are single-use plastics that are part of the larger plastic pollution crisis.
• Between 2016 and 2018, volunteers with the Alliance for the Great Lakes found more than 18,000 pieces of balloon debris pollution in the Great Lakes.
• Released balloons can be deadly for wildlife, livestock, and pets. Many animals can be injured or killed from eating the balloon fragments or getting entangled in the long balloon ribbons.
• According to a University of Tasmania study, latex balloons are the deadliest form of marine debris for seabirds, as they are 32 times more likely to kill than hard plastics when ingested.
• Mylar balloons conduct electricity and are responsible for thousands of power outages every year when they come in contact with power lines, resulting in costly disruptions to our lives and the economy. In May 2021, in Bay City, Michigan, a power outage affecting more than 3,000 customers was caused by a single bouquet of released Mylar balloons. 

On October 6th, 2021, Representative Mari Manoogian and Senator Mallory McMorrow introduced two bills banning the intentional release of balloons in the Michigan Legislature (House Bill [HB] 5373 and Senate Bill [SB] 0675). These bills do not ban the sale or use of balloons, but rather advocate for their proper disposal. 

We can adopt other safer alternatives to releasing balloons like planting trees, blowing bubbles, lighting candles, and using colorful banners and streamers.

We don’t allow littering on the ground in our state – why should we allow littering by releasing balloons which eventually make their way to the ground?

Please join us and sign this petition to add your voice to this important issue. Thank you!

Nisha Singhi, International Academy Okma ‘24; Founder of balloonproject.org; twitter.com/nballoonproject; instagram.com/nsballoonproject; 

Lara O’Brien, M.S. ‘20 University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability; Founder of the Balloon Debris Survey and balloondebris.org

María Isabel Dabrowski, M.S. ‘21 University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability; Founder of @GoGreenForTheOcean on Instagram (instagram.com/gogreenfortheocean)