From around the globe, there is a growing body of scientific research, evidence, and media reports concerning the harmful impact of balloon litter on animals and the environment. The reference section below includes documented issues surrounding intentional balloon releases and ongoing legislative initiatives.
As everyday people and passionate citizens of this planet, our mission is to promote responsible balloon behavior. We want anyone who chooses to enjoy balloons to do so without the guilt of harming the environment. Our advocacy is not against balloons but against how people irresponsibly dispose of them. Balloon Mission’s innovative outreach programs and solutions are offering people ways to do better while saving animals and protecting our world. This compendium of resources explains why the Balloon Mission is important, why it needs to be shared, and, most importantly, why we ALL need to act and make a difference for a cleaner and greener planet!
We’ve highlighted at the top of the page three important resources and toolkits to help share the message and take action for responsible balloon usage:
- The Balloon Council’s (TBC) responsible messages on “Smart Balloon Practices.”
- Prevent Balloon Litter’s Teacher Kit (student info and activities to prevent balloon litter)
- Surfrider Foundation’s Policy Balloon Toolkit (strategies to promote balloon policies)
Got an article or resource to share on the balloon problem, a solution, or alternatives to balloon releases? Send it to us and we’ll add it to our Reference Sources for everyone to use! Contact us at www.info@balloonmission.org and help make a difference!
“The Case for Undergrounding Utilities: Lessons from a Mylar Balloon Outage.” August 14, 2024. View Article
“Mylar balloon knocks out power to 1,800 PG&E customers in Northeast Santa Rosa.” July 21, 2024. View Article
“Mylar balloon causes power outage in Apple Valley.” June 27, 2024. View Article
“Help prevent electrical fires and outages by keeping metallic balloons secure.” June 7, 2024. View Article
“Mylar Balloons Cause Thousand of Outages Every Year.” June 4, 2024. View Article
“Las Vegas City Council passes ordinance to ban outdoor balloon releases.” June 5, 2024. View Article
“Thousands in Las Vegas Valley lost power due to mylar balloons.” May 10, 2024. View Article
“The Alarming Truth About Biodegradable Balloons.” April 16, 2024. View Article
“Plastic balloon responsible for death of beached whale found in North Carolina.” November 8, 2023. View Article
“5 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Balloon Releases.” The Environmentor 2023. View Article
“Balloons to Heaven Day” August 6, 2023. View Article.
“Entrepreneur seeks a green path for her balloon business.” The Business Journal. August 1, 2023. View Article
“Local beach cleaner fighting for future without helium balloons. Exeter Lakeshore Times-Advance.” June 15, 2023. View Article.
“Amazing Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Balloons” – May 7, 2023. View Article
“Balloon ban might pop your next party.” USA Today. May 1, 2023. View Article
“Michigan floats balloon release ban: Pollution BridgeMichigan.com.” April 25, 2023. View Article
“Two Florida lawmakers push to ban intentional release of balloons statewide.” Winknews.com. April 14, 2023. View Article
“Balloon bans are the result of humans acting irresponsibly with their stuff” – February 26, 2023. View Article
“U.S. beach town bans balloons to save the ocean.” The Guardian. February 23rd, 2023. View Article
“Mylar Balloons to be banned in California by 2031.” 23ABC. February 20, 2023. View Article
“Why metallic balloons will soon be illegal in California.” KTLA5. February 15, 2023. View Article
“Releasing metallic balloons may cause power outages.” February 13, 2023. View Article
“Metallic Balloon Bans Taking Flight Now.” February 12, 2024. View Article
“This proposed NYC law will require warning labels on balloons; here’s why.” January 30th, 2023. View Article
“What are microplastics?” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (NOAA website) January 26, 2023. View Article
“Biodegradable Balloons : Eco Friendly Alternatives or Gone Flat Greenwashing?” January 7th, 2023. View Article
“How to Recycle Mylar” Published date not found. View Article
“How do microplastics get in the air?” December 8, 2022 View Article
“Hold onto those Balloons: They Could End up in the Ocean.” NOAA. November 8, 2022. View Article
“Balloon Mania.” October 17th, 2022. View Article
“Dangers of Balloon Releases and the Law.” August 24, 2022. View Article
“Helium balloons impose a toll on our air, land, and sea.” Chicago Tribune. August 1, 2022. View Article
“Understanding the Impact of Balloon Releases; Sustainable Alternatives to Balloons.” HRSD. June 27, 2022. View Article
“The problem with birthday balloons no one talks about.” Readers Digest. June 13, 2022. View Article
“You Eat a Credit Card’s worth of Plastic Every Week.” Nautilus. May 18, 2022. View Article
“Popular graduation balloons dangerous if released, energy companies warn.” NY Post. May 15, 2022 View Article
“This is Why Releasing Balloons May Soon be banned in NY.” Big Frog. May 6, 2022. View Article
“STATE BALLOON RELEASE LAWS: Office of Legislative Research-Objective Research for Connecticut’s Legislature.” May 4, 2022. View Article
“How Balloons Blew Up.” NY Times. March 24, 2022. View Article
“Let’s Celebrate Balloon Free.” March 23, 2022. View Article
“This endangered turtle underwent successful surgery after ingesting a balloon.” January 26, 2022 View Article
“Gov. Ige Signs Bill into Law Banning Intentional Balloon Releases”. July 3, 2021. View Article
“Balloon Pollution: A ballooning environmental problem.” July 15, 2021 View Article
“Trends and Forecasts in the Balloon Industry” – Florists Review. November 8, 2021 View Article
“When Balloons Fly, Seabirds Die. Philip Island Nature Parks, Zoos Victoria Fighting Extinction.” 2021 View Article
“How Balloons in the Ocean Kill Marine Life.” Capt. Dave’s Blog How Balloons in the Ocean Kill Marine Life View Article
“We composted ‘biodegradable’ balloons. Here’s what we found after 16 weeks.” August 16, 2020. View Article
“Plastic pollution is killing marine megafauna, but how do we prioritize policies to reduce mortality?” July 28, 2020. View Article
“Balloon releases have deadly consequences – we’re helping citizen scientists map them.” March 18, 2020. View Article
“Plastic Bottle Caps and Balloons Top the list of Trash washing up at Virginia wildlife refuges.” Virginia Pilot. January 8, 2020. View Article
“State pols want to ban helium-filled balloon releases.” NY Post. October 20, 2019.
View Article
“Why Balloon Releases Need to Stop.” Tree Hugger.” August 15, 2019. View Article
“18,000 pieces of balloon waste were found in Great Lakes.” July 3, 2019. View Article
“Why the Balloon Release Tradition is Terrible.” May 28th, 2019. View Article
“Plastic Balloons Kill More Seabirds than all other trash.” Lady Free Thinker. March 11, 2019. View Article
“Preventing harmful Balloon Debris along NY’s marine coastline.” NY Sea Grant. March 4, 2019. View Article
“A quantitative analysis linking seabird mortality and marine debris ingestion.” Scientific Reports.” March 1, 2019. View Article
“Julie Craves explains how discarded balloons harm birds.” Bird Watching Daily. October 2, 2019. View Article.
“Here’s What Really Happens When You let go of a balloon.” The Dodo. May 4, 2018. View Article
Balloon Release Research in VA & Reducing Balloon Debris through Community-Based Social Marketing.” November 2017. View Article
“High Flying Balloons pose a definite downside for ocean wildlife.” Ocean Conservancy.
August 29, 2012. View Article
“Balloon Debris A rising Concern.” Prevent BalloonLitter.org View Article
“The Issue. Not only do balloons pollute the environment, but they are also deadly for wildlife and livestock.” View Article