We, the undersigned, are calling for a nationwide ban on ceremonial balloon releases due to the environmental impact on marine and wildlife.

So far over 70 UK councils have banned balloon releases, but this doesn't go far enough and still it continues to be commonplace. We need the Government to act now.

Balloons may look pretty, but they do not “go to heaven”. All released balloons return to the earth as litter, mostly in fragments, polluting both our land and seas. They, along with their attached ribbons, pose a huge threat to marine and wildlife as they resemble edible items to the animals. When an animal ingests these fragments they usually go on to suffer and then die. The balloon can block the digestive tract, leaving them unable to take in any more nutrients, resulting in the animal slowly starving to death. Animals can also become entangled in the balloon and/or its ribbon rendering them unable to move or eat and, again, slowly starving to death.

Already endangered sea turtles are especially vulnerable to ingestion as they naturally prey on jellies which balloon fragments can easily be mistaken for. But it’s not only sea life that is at risk, many terrestrial species are also falling victim to this threat; birds too are extremely susceptible to entanglement as well as many other animals. Penguins and even seals have been documented as being injured or killed by becoming entangled in a balloon ribbon. Marketers of balloons hide behind the PR spiel that their balloons are "100% biodegradable". What they fail to mention is that these can take 6 months or more to degrade (some claim as long as 4 years), taking even longer to degrade at sea than on land, leaving plenty of time to harm animals first. As balloon releases are becoming more and more prevalent in celebrations, memorials and at charity events it is vital now that laws be made to put an end to the deliberate littering of our environment. There are so many other ways to mark occasions than something as irresponsible as balloon releases.  We are not asking for a ban on balloons, but note that they need to be responsibly disposed of, not released into the air deliberately and en masse. 

Now is the time to set an example for the rest of the world and call balloon releases what they are: deliberate littering which harms the environment and poses a danger to life. You hold the power in making a great difference on the impact that this misguided practice has on our environment and its inhabitants. I do hope for your sincere attention and action in this matter.