Throughout the last 15 years of my life, I've spent plenty of time in the woods. In this time, I've come across hundreds, if not thousands, of mylar balloons. People release them for birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations not realizing what kind of impact these things have on the environment.

First off, Mylar balloons are composed of synthetic nylon and metallicized powder with a metallic coating. It takes the balloons anywhere (on average) from 6 months to 4 years to decompose, which is more than enough time to wreak havoc on an ecosystem. For example, birds, deer and other wildlife may become entangled in the ribbons used to tie down these balloons. Wildlife may decide to try to eat these balloons thinking they are a food source and choke or get poisoned by their unnatural properties. These balloons have been known to conform to their digestive tracts and cause starvation or death. Beyond the woods, these balloons enter waterways where fish, turtles and other wildlife inhabit.

Second, these balloons have been known to cause thousands of power outages per year! They become entangled in power lines creating a huge public and environmental safety concern. (Electric shock, fires, explosions, power grid failure, etc.)

Before your next celebration, remember what kind of impacts Mylar balloons have on the environment. If one slips out of your hand, just think of where it may end up.

Together we can help protect the environment by banning Mylar balloons.