Page 21 - Litter Toolkit

4.2

Balloons and sky lanterns

Releasing balloons and sky lanterns create displays School example
which are enjoyed by many; however, their visual ACTIONS: Let’s Go
spectacle is short lived, while their negative impacts Eco-Schools across the country have come up with
have far-reaching and long-lasting effects on people, fun alternatives to releasing balloons and sky lanterns Find out if your local authority has implemented a
animals and the environment. – from an online balloon race where participants voluntary ban. If they haven’t, why not write a letter
answer trivia questions to make their balloons fly encouraging them to make this pledge.
Balloons and sky lanterns will eventually float down further, to using banners and flags, relays and fun
to earth and add to our litter problem. Once released runs. Become a school that doesn’t release balloons and
there is no control over them. Balloons are believed tell your community why. Encourage your whole
to be able to reach heights of about five miles before community not to carry out balloon releases.
they shatter into small pieces – but approximately
10% of balloons don’t reach that height, stay intact Create a list of alternative actions which your
and can travel for many miles, often ending up in the school and community can carry out instead of
sea. Some can even travel thousands of miles! releasing balloons.

Balloons can be mistaken by wildlife for food, and
once eaten they can block digestive systems, causing
animals to starve. The string on balloons can also
entangle and trap animals. Sky lanterns, on the other
hand, can cause fires and they are often mistaken for
distress flares.

Following a petition to the Welsh Assembly by Welsh
Eco-Schools, some local authorities have introduced Marine Conservation Society (MCS) ‘Don’t
Let Go’ resource action pack
voluntary bans on the release of balloons and sky
lanterns. If the remaining local authorities follow RSPCA factsheet ‘Balloon Releases Threaten
suit, Wales could become the first airborne litter free Wildlife’
nation in the UK.
Keep Wales Tidy website