What happens to balloons after they are released?

Cover images: Balloons/CORBISFulmars and balloons/ALTERRA VAN FRANEKER

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Don’t Let Go!

The MCS campaign for responsible balloon use

If you would like to fi nd out more about the responsible use of balloons and the eff ects of balloon releases on the marine environment, please visit

www.mcsuk.org

You can also contact us at: Marine Conservation Society Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7USTel: 01989 566017Fax: 01989 567815E-mail: info@mcsuk.org

The MCS ‘Don’t Let Go!’ campaign

pack has been funded by the

Project Aware Foundation (International)

and the Crown Estate

© Copyright MCS/2006 Registered charity number: 1004005

Protecting our seas, shores and wildlife - now and for future generations.

Don’t Let Go!

The MCS campaign for responsible balloon use

Balloons can kill wildlife

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• Don’t let go of balloons outdoors!

• Fill balloons with air rather than helium.

• Use balloons made of natural rubber latex rather than mylar (foil) balloons.

• When tying balloons use natural cotton string rather than plastic ribbon.

• Securely tie any balloons that are used outside.

• Always hand tie balloons rather than using plastic valves.

• Sign up to the ‘Don’t Let Go’ petition

www.mcsuk.org

MCS guidelines for wildlife friendly balloon use

Balloons fl oat up into the air and disappear from your thoughts, but not from the environment.

Instead of releasing balloons into the environment, why not try a wildlife friendly alternative?

Prize balloon poppingAir fi ll your balloons, and hide a few prize tickets inside. Release the balloons indoors and have everyone pop them to fi nd prizes.

Balloon relay - Each member of a team has to run a short distance and sit on a balloon to pop it before running back to tag the next member of the team. The fi rst team to pop all their balloons wins!

Balloon art -Hire a balloon artist or, for a big, bold statement, try a giant air-fi lled-balloon sculpture.

Visit our website for more ideas.

You can enjoy balloons without harming wildlife.

• 10% of released balloons don’t burst, they fl oat back down to earth where they pose a serious threat to wildlife.

• Dolphins, whales, turtles, seabirds and other animals have all been killed by balloons.

• If swallowed, balloons can block an animal’s gut and cause it to starve.

• Animals can become entangled in balloon ribbons and string, restricting their movement and their ability to feed.

• Even biodegradable latex balloons are a danger as they can take several months or even years to break down.

Beach litter surveys organised by the Marine Conservation Society have shown that the number of balloons and balloon pieces found on UK beaches has tripled in the last 10 years.

• Turtles are particularly at risk as they can confuse balloons with their jellyfi sh prey.

• Mass balloon releases have already been banned by several local authorities in the UK, USA and Australia.

• Don’t let go!

BALLOONS CAN KILL WILDLIFE

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Alternatives to balloon releases

There are many types of events that could easily replace balloon releases and not cause harm to our environment. Many marine species, including turtles and dolphins, accidentally eat balloons because they think they are food. This blocks their stomach and can cause them to die. Animals also get entangled in balloons. This is really simple to stop – just don’t release balloons. There are lots of events to choose from and we’ve put together some ideas here to help you. We’re not against balloons – as long as they are not released to be another bit of litter in the environment. So if you’ve already bought balloons, how about doing these events instead?

Prize balloon popping – Hide a few prizes inside air filled

balloons. Release balloons indoors and let everyone pop them to find the prizes. Also works well with choosing raffle ticket winners. Balloon relay – Each member of a team has to run a short

distance and sit on a balloon to pop it before running back to tag the next member of the team. The first team to pop all their balloons wins! Balloon sculpture – Use your balloons to make an unusual but

fun sculpture. Balloon art – Hire a balloon artist to create balloon animals.

Guess the number of balloons – Fill a car with balloons and

the correct guess gets a prize (could you get the local car dealer to donate the car as a prize?). Trying to raise lots money without spending much? Try these events instead: Sponsored events – All it costs you is a sponsorship form! Find some willing individuals to

do sponsored running, walking, swimming, pogo jumping… whatever you like! Auction – Get people and local companies to donate prizes and hold an auction to raise

money for your cause. Virtual balloon release – They do exist! You can sponsor balloons, set them off from a

precise location and track them online to see where they end up. Balloons travelling the world with no harm to the environment – great! Music concert – Support new local bands and host a night of musical entertainment.

Tickets for the concert all go to your cause and musicians get a great chance to showcase their talent. Colour code yourself – Dress in green / blue / neon pink and give money to charity too.

Don’t let go!

A razorbill caught in a balloon

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Balloons are often released to commemorate or raise awareness –why not try these ideas instead: Lighting candles

Planting trees or flowers

Need an event for kids? Paper plane competition (also works for adults – brings out the

competitive side!). Prize for the plane that travels the furthest. Plant a tree to mark a class leaving school

Or get all the children of the school year to make a clay or paint

collage of their handprints – a beautiful, personal memento of the year. Easter egg or treasure hunt.

And for something totally different…

Release the cow! Mark out squares in a plot of land and sell tickets for each numbered square. Release a cow into the field and the first square to be hit by a cow pat wins

Organise a kite fly. Looks spectacular and is cheap and fun to

organise.

Finally – if you have any good ideas please let us know!

Hand paint picture as a good way to mark the end of a

school year

What goes up…

does come down

If you would like to fi nd out more about the responsible use of balloons and the eff ects of balloon releases on the marine environment, please visit

www.mcsuk.org

You can also contact us at: Marine Conservation SocietyUnit 3, Wolf Business ParkAlton RoadRoss-on-WyeHerefordshireHR9 5NBTel: 01989 566017Fax: 01989 567815E-mail: info@mcsuk.org

References:

Burchette D.K. 1989. A study of the eff ect of balloons releases on the environment.Coe, J.M. and Rogers, D.B. 1997. ‘Marine Debris Sources, Impacts and Solutions’. Springer-Verlag, New York, IncMMSC. 1989. Marine mammals and sea turtles that stranded after ingesting or becoming entangled in man-made items. Unpublished report, May 1989 by the Marine Mammal Stranding Centre (MMSC), New Jersey, USACoe, J.M. and Rogers, D.B. 1997. ‘Marine Debris Sources, Impacts and Solutions’. Springer-Verlag, New York, Inc – Walker and Coe 1990 - Common DolphinShaver, DJ & Plotkin, PT. 1998. Marine debris ingestion by sea turtles in South Texas: Pre- and post MARPOL Annex V. In Byles, R & Y Fernandez (compilers). 1998. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-412, 158pp.Coe, J.M. and Rogers, D.B. 1997. ‘Marine Debris Sources, Impacts and Solutions’. Springer-Verlag, New York, Inc - U.S. Natl. Mus (cited in Walker & Coe 1990)A. Collet, personal communication - RissoCoe, J.M. and Rogers, D.B. 1997. ‘Marine Debris Sources, Impacts and Solutions’. Springer-Verlag, New York, Inc – Day 1980; Robards et al., Chapter 6, Coe and Rogers; Bourne 1976; Van Franeker 1985; Moser and Lee 1992 – Northern fulmars.Lutz P. 1990. Studies on the ingestion of plastic and latex by sea turtles. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conferences on Marine Debris.Penrose, R.S. UK and Eire Turtle Strandings & Sightings Annual Report 2002. 2003. Marine Environmental MonitoringBeachwatch 2005 The annual Beach litter Survey Report. 2006. Marine Conservation Society.International Coastal Cleanup 2004Andrady A.L. 2000. Plastics and their impacts in the marine environment. In proceedings of the International Marine Debris Conference on Derelict Fishing Gear and the Ocean Environment.

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Marine turtles are particularly at risk, as they feed on marine creatures that fl oat at the surface, like jellyfi sh. Leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, green and hawksbill turtles have all been recorded in UK and Irish waters, and leatherbacks visit British waters every summer to feed on jellyfi sh. All these turtle species are known to ingest marine litter, perhaps mistaking it for their jellyfi sh prey.

Experiments in the USA showed that captive loggerheads fed with small pieces of latex balloon took up to four months to pass the fragments. During this time they experienced fl otation abnormalities and their blood-sugar levels dropped. Sadly, ingestion can also lead to death. The juvenile green

Most people have not considered the fate of balloons released into the environment. Studies suggest that most of these balloons rise to high altitude and burst into tiny fragments, but 10% will not burst and can be carried in the air for long distances. Any partially infl ated, whole balloons as well as burst balloon fragments, will fl oat back down to earth posing a serious threat to wildlife.

The largest ever balloon release was 1.4 million balloons. This may have resulted in 140,000 intact balloons and millions of pieces of balloon falling back to earth.

Balloons and marine litter pose a serious threat

to wildlife. Balloons and marine litter such as plastic, discarded rope, fi shing nets and other marine debris have been shown to kill marine wildlife. Entangled animals can drown, asphyxiate (suff ocate) or starve. If they ingest (swallow) marine debris it can damage or block the gut and lead to starvation.

We know that balloons can kill as there are many cases around the world where the death of marine wildlife has been attributed to balloon ingestion (swallowing). In 1985 the Marine Mammal Stranding Centre of New Jersey recorded the death of a pygmy sperm whale that had starved after ingesting a mylar (foil) balloon. In 1987 they recorded the death of a leatherback turtle that had starved after ingesting a partially infl ated latex

(rubber) balloon. Other records of balloon ingestion include common dolphins in Californian waters, loggerhead turtles in Texan waters, and a green turtle

that died in Florida after eating a partially infl ated latex balloon. Closer to home, Risso’s dolphins in French waters are known to ingest balloons, as are fulmars in the North Sea, and turtles (see case study, below).

These cases are only the ones we know of. Most marine creatures that die at sea are never found or post mortemed.

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Case study: marine turtles

The MCS ‘Don’t Let Go!’ campaign pack has been funded by

Project Aware Foundation (International) and the Crown Estate

FACTSHEET

Balloons can kill wildlife

What happens to balloons after they are released?

© GRAEME CRESSWELL/BREATTAKINGWHALES.COM © GILL BELL/MCS

post mortemed.

turtle pictured below washed up dead on a beach near Blackpool in 2001. The post-mortem revealed that the turtle’s digestive tract was completely blocked by marine debris, including a large fragment of blue latex balloon. The blockage led to the turtle starving to death.

Dolphins, whales, turtles, seabirds and other animals have all been harmed or killed either by swallowing balloons or becoming entangled in balloon ribbons and string.

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also lead to death. The juvenile green

COVER IMAGE: BALLOONS/CORBIS

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Don’t Let Go!

The MCS campaign for responsible balloon use

© Copyright MCS/2006 Registered charity number: 1004005

Balloons can kill wildlife

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Protecting our seas, shores and wildlife - now and for future generations.

Don’t Let Go!

The MCS campaign for responsible balloon use

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Tying balloons

Balloons can be tied with cotton string, which will eventually biodegrade, but most balloons are now tied with plastic ribbon which persists in the marine environment and can entangle animals.

During mass balloon releases, the balloons are often tied with a plastic valve that will never biodegrade and may also pose a threat to wildlife.

Filling balloonsBalloons can be fi lled with either air or helium. MCS recommends that balloons are always air-fi lled. Accidentally released, air-fi lled balloons are relatively easy to retrieve, whereas helium-fi lled balloons fl oat upwards and disperse because helium is lighter than air.

Mylar (foil) balloons are made of silver foil and it is unknown how many years they will take to break down, but they may never fully biodegrade.

Studies indicate that balloons fl oating in seawater deteriorate much slower than those exposed to air, with some balloons retaining their elasticity after 12 months. Even biodegradable latex balloons persist in the marine environment and will stay intact in a turtle’s gut long enough to cause death by starvation.

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Balloon types A lasting problem

For more information about joining MCS or to get involved in the Adopt-a-Beach project call us or visit

www.adoptabeach.org.uk

Latex balloons do biodegrade, with some studies suggesting that balloons degrade in about the same time as an oak leaf. But this can take up to 6 months to occur depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity.

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• Don’t let go of balloons outdoors!

• Fill balloons with air rather than helium.

• Use balloons made of natural rubber latex rather than mylar (foil) balloons.

• When tying balloons use natural cotton string rather than plastic ribbon.

• Securely tie any balloons that are used outside.

• Always hand tie balloons rather than using plastic valves.

• Sign up to the ‘Don’t Let Go’ petition at www.mcsuk.org

Instead of releasing balloons into the environment why not try a wildlife friendly alternative?

Prize balloon popping - air fi ll your balloons, and hide a few prize tickets inside. Release the balloons indoors and have everyone pop them to fi nd prizes.

Guess the number of balloons - run a competition before the balloon-pop, the closest guess wins.

Balloon art - hire a balloon artist or, for the big, bold statement, try a giant air-fi lled-balloon sculpture.

Balloon relay - each member of a team has to run a short distance and sit on a balloon to pop it before running back to tag the next member of the team. The fi rst team to pop all their balloons wins!

For more ideas, visit our website.

You can enjoy balloons without harming wildlife.

MCS guidelines for wildlife friendly balloon use

Understanding balloons

Beach litter surveys carried out during the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch project have shown that the number of balloons and balloon pieces found on UK beaches each year, has trebled since 1996. Who knows how many more are still at sea or on other beaches worldwide which aren’t cleaned or surveyed?

We know that balloons can travel great distances. A balloon released in the middle of the UK can fi nd its way to the coast and far out to sea. The results of the US Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup 2004 showed that over 63,000 balloons were collected on surveyed beaches worldwide.

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Latex (rubber) balloons are made of natural latex rubber and will therefore biodegrade over a number of months or years.

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It is illegal to litter under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990, with fi nes of up to £2,500 for each off ence. Under this act it is an off ence to drop “or otherwise deposit” litter in a public place and therefore releasing balloons should be viewed as an off ence under this Act. However, released balloons are not currently defi ned as litter.

In recognition of the threat posed to wildlife by balloons, mass balloon releases have been banned by several UK local authorities including South Hams District Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Shetland Islands Council.

Mass balloon releases are also already banned in Florida, Virginia, Conneticut and Tennessee in the USA and New South Wales in Australia.

Balloons and the law

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Use the information in this leafl et to campaign for a local ban on balloon releases in your area. Write to your local authority and tell them about the threats posed to wildlife by mass balloon releases.

take action

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www.mcsuk.org

ALTERRA/VAN FRANEKER

What happens to balloons after they are released?

For information about the eff ects of balloon releases on

the marine environment, please visit our website © MCS/2006Registered charity no: 1004005

Images: balloon release/CORBIS; fulmars and burst balloons/Alterra - van Franeker; child with balloon/Richard Harrington - MCS

The ‘Don’t Let Go!’ campaign pack was funded by Project Aware Foundation (International) and the Crown Estate

They fl oat up and disappear fromThey They

your thoughts...

but not from the environment.

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Protecting our seas, shores and wildlife - now and for future generations.

Don’t Let Go!

The MCS campaign for responsible balloon use

www.mcsuk.org

+ =Balloons can kill wildlife