Why You Should Never Release Balloons

Although many people love balloons and other such things you play around with and that float in the air, it's better not to use them too much and, more importantly, never release them into the air.

But why can't we release balloons?

Here are some reasons why:

• Once they lose air and fall on the ground who - knows - where, they can become pieces of litter that can potentially harm the ecosystem. Although it's true that many balloons are considered biodegradable, it can take a long time for them to completely biodegrade into the soil, and it might even take years! Not only that, but a lot of times, when something as light as a balloon falls from the sky, it doesn't always end up on the ground. It might end up on trees or moving water, making it harder to reach a warm, moist bacteria - filled area to decompose quickly. This way, they can become part of the billions and trillions of pollution particles wasted into the Earth every year.

• They can harm and even kill animals. Although balloons are known to be a fun, kid - friendly, colorful object, it might not be so fun for the animals living out there in nature. There, while a balloon is floating in the sky or hanging from a tree branch or something, a small animal, such as a bird or a chipmunk, might get tangled or choked in the balloon's strings, sadly suffocating and killing the animal. If they got underwater somehow, even marine life could get killed the same way.

• It isn't entirely renewable. Most of us know what's the gas inside balloons: helium. This gas, though, is non-renewable, which means we might not be able to replenish its supply forever: it's a source that we might run out of. Taking Earth's resources as an advantage to use for things like these might not always be the best idea.

So to conclude, balloons might not be innocent and fun after all, at least for the environment. One main thing we learn from this is not to release them into the air, which can fundamentally create many hazards and problems, as well as for other objects as well. If it was for a tradition, then at the least make sure what you're releasing is biodegradable. If it isn't as important, then consider not buying balloons and choose something else that's decorative and safe for the environment.

Works Cited:

Images from Wix

11 Things You Can Do To Help The Environment (theodysseyonline.com)

Are Balloons Biodegradable? (And Compostable?) - Conserve Energy Future (conserve-energy-future.com)

Are Balloons Bad for the Environment? 6 Eco-Friendly Alternatives (tomsofmaine.com)