What goes up must come down. Balloons are hazards when they enter the environment.  All released balloons, whether they are released intentionally or not, return to Earth as ugly litter – including those marketed as “biodegradable latex”.  Balloons kill countless animals and cause dangerous power outages. They can travel thousands of miles and pollute the most remote and pristine places.

Balloons return to the land and sea where they can be mistaken for food and eaten by animals. Sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and birds have been reported with balloons in their stomachs and ribbons and strings can lead to entanglement, causing death.

I would encourage people that want to do something in the memory of a lost love one to plant a tree or something that will contribute to the environment rather than causing more damage.