Balloons released into our environment are killing our wildlife. Helium-filled balloons are made from Mylar, a synthetic nylon with a metallic coating. This material is not biodegradable. Latex balloons are also entangling and killing wildlife.

Beach litter surveys have shown the amount of balloons and balloon pieces found on our beaches has tripled in the past 10 years. These balloons represent a terrible hazard to our wildlife.

Countless balloons are released around the world every day.

Numerous non-profit organizations and charity groups perform mass balloon releases to raise funds. Many regarding sensitive issues include memorials and life-threatening illnesses. Balloons filled with Helium are contributing to the depletion of this finite resource that is essential for life-saving medical procedures, scientific research, and many other important applications.

Take note when you see balloons and you will notice they are saturated in our society:

It’s a birthday party full of friends, family, and balloons. Some escape…

A loved one passes away. Everyone in their family now releases balloons for them every year….

A student thinks it would be a cool idea to release balloons to get attention for their club….

In the midst of a fair, balloons can just slip out of reach…

A child lets go of a balloon to watch it float away…

There are even websites and social media pages that encourage people to release balloons, misleading any who question the effects they have on the environment. More and more commercials these days depict balloon releases that only glorify it which may give more people the idea to continue this harmful practice; wasting Helium and causing more damage to our natural world.

These are all results of people not knowing about the dangers of balloons. If people knew, then they might tie that balloon extra tight around their child’s wrist, or think twice about all those years of letting them go as a memory or celebration. Why kill more life in remembrance of another?

If you care for the environment and our wildlife then please sign and share this petition.