subject: How Green Are Balloons- Balloons San Diego [print this page] Many people wonder about the environmental impact of balloons. Contrary to popular belief, balloons are one of the most environmentally friendly decor mediums around! Here are a couple of fun facts about balloons and greeness.
Balloons come from the sap of the rubber tree, Heveabrasiliensis, which grows in Malaysia. This sap looks like milk and is shipped to America in large ocean tankers. Once it is removed from the tree, the sap is called latex.
Balloon are biodegradable; they decompose at the rate of an oak leaf.
Balloons are environmentally friendly! Because they are made from the sap of a tree, in order to make more balloons, more trees must be planted!!!!!
Something that is important to note however, though the latex balloons are completely green, mylar balloons are not. Mylar balloons do not biodegrade, although being made from metal and plastic, they are recyclable.
If you are planning to use balloons for balloon releases, make sure that you check with the FAA to ensure that you are not in a flight path so as not to cause an accident. Besides getting FAA permission, make sure that the balloons are attached to cotton string which will biodegrade, rather than a poly ribbon, which will not biodegrade.
If you are planning on doing balloons outside, make sure that you are following the California balloon laws, even if you are not in California, it's just responsible balloon use.
For indoor events, make sure that your guests know about responsible balloon use. Make it easy for them to be good citizens, if you are planning to send balloons home with the guests, make sure that they are anchored to a weight so they won't accidentally be released.
With proper thought and care, balloons are one of the most environmentally friendly decor mediums out there!
