Lancashire County Council Is Trying To Ban Helium Balloons To Save The Environment

Helium balloons are part of party traditions in the UK, found at kids’ celebrations, weddings, anniversaries and even theme parks – but here’s the bad news: they wreak havoc on the environment when we let them go in the air.

They’re made out of latex – a material that can take years to biodegrade – and are also tied with plastic ribbons. In the USA, a survey of coastal cleanups in 2004 found 63,000 balloons were collected on beaches worldwide – this isn’t a result of children accidentally letting go of balloons, but of people releasing dozens of them at a time to mark special occasions. 

[Read More: When it comes to plastic waste, we need to think bigger]

Because of this impact, Lancashire County Council has proposed banning them on county council-owned land altogether. Green Party councillor Gina Dowding, who’s heading up a cross party task force to reduce the council’s plastic waste, wants people to stop releasing balloons in the air. 

“Part of the intention of my motion is about us becoming an example and setting a leadership role [on environmental issues],” Dowding, who has been contacted by local residents concerned about balloon drops on local beachfront promenades, told HuffPost UK.