Are latex balloons really environmentally friendly

There are two distinctly different types of balloons which are sold in the UK today - latex and foil. 

Collection of sap from a rubber tree

Latex balloons are produced from the sap of the rubber tree. This is collected by using an environmentally safe, age-old process similar to that used for collecting the sap from maple trees for maple syrup. This is process does not harm the tree in any way and dedicated forests are planted because of the demand for the rubber. The forests are grown purely for this purpose and are a very valuable and well-protected natural resources. These trees play an equally valuable ecological role in the earth's fragile ecological balance by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which works towards preventing global warming.

A latex balloon is made from 100% organic material and is 100% biodegradable. Left to the elements a latex balloon will start to naturally biodegrade. If you want to use it at a later date then protect it from the air in a plastic bag and keep out of the daylight. Protected in this way a latex balloon will last months or even years.


When you inflate a balloon the stress from this will start it's decomposition cycle. Exposure to sunlight will accelerate the process and oxygen and ozone will then continue this molecular breakdown even in the dark. Deterioration is clearly obvious within a few hours as it begins to oxidise (goes cloudy or dull - this is especially noticeable on a clear or dark balloon) and soon the balloon will start to break apart. Research has shown that under similar conditions latex will decompose as quickly as an oak leaf.


The Green Balloon Campaign has been set up by BAPIA, a balloon trade association, and they will send one of their campaign members to your school to deliver a short (45 minute) interactive presentation to the children to show where latex comes from and explain how the rubber trees benefit the environment and that latex balloons are 100% natural and biodegradeable. If this is of interest then go to their website for their contact details.

The other type is a foil balloon and is often referred to, especially in the USA, as mylar. This is actually incorrect as they are made from a metallised nylon (plastic) and are NOT biodegradable. These are much more expensive than latex balloons and should NEVER be used in balloon releases.

Children to be banned from blowing up balloons

I first became aware of this article on 9th October but was waiting to see if any of the latex balloon manufactures or one of the trade associations would make an official announcement. None have so I felt that it was important that I at least mentioned it.

The article was in the Telegraph and states "The EU toy safety directive, agreed and implemented by Government, states that balloons must not be blown up by unsupervised children under the age of eight, in case they accidentally swallow them and choke..."


It's certainly not news about the dangers of uninflated balloons but I agree that it is an example of the EU interfering with our everyday lives and scaring people unnecessarily over an everday object. All latex balloons we, and all of our suppliers, send out are sent with a safety warning. The one we send says:

Warning! Children under 8

years old can choke or suffocate on

uninflated or broken balloons.

Adult supervision required.

Keep uninflated balloons from

children.

Discard broken balloons at once

All parents need to be made aware of possible dangers so they can make educated choices but a ban on children under 8 being able to inflate a balloon is, as usual, taking things one step too far. I should say "try" because it is highly unlikely that a child under 8 years old would be able to inflate a balloon with their mouths - many adults can't either.

So who is going to enforce such a law, it wouldn't be possible to police it. It would just be there for the lawyers to use against someone in a court of law if the unthinkable was to happen. We have, in my opinion, already gone too far down the compensation route.

In reality all balloons should be inflated using a pump, whether by a child or adult. The odd one or two may be ok but blowing up balloons can cause dizziness, lung problems, eye problems and high blood pressure to name a few.

So blow up your balloons with a pump, supervise your children (as you would normally) and enjoy the party!

Babyloss Awareness Balloon Release

In the UK, 17 babies a day are stillborn or die within the first 4 weeks of life. A balloon release is being held on 16th October 2011 at Belfast Castle to bring awareness to this.

For more information go to the Sands Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Charity website.

Do I have to tie the balloons by hand?

Balloon Tying Tool

There are several ways to seal a balloon :

• Tying a knot (only option if releasing the balloon)
• Inserting a balloon valve into the neck
• Using a balloon seal
• Using a cable tie for giant balloons
• Cup & Stick for air filled balloons

Tying a Knot
 The thought of knotting hundreds or evens thousands of balloons can be very off-putting and could cost you several layers of skin - which is also very painful! The Balloon Tool ties balloons with ease and once you you have the hang of it can be used to tie up to 600 balloons per hour. It can be used with helium or air filled balloons and will also tie the balloon directly onto a ribbon so will help you to create an arch and you can even use it to curl the ribbon. Great for any large balloon tying job such as balloon releases, balloon drops. balloon ceilings with or without dangling ribbons but then once you have it you can use it every time you need to tie a balloon! The tool comes with full instructions.

Pros:

1. Ties a knot in the balloon so nice neat finish
2. Doesn't add additional weight to the balloon so you get full float life
3. Quick & easy with no sore fingers (or is that 3 points!)
4. Can be used for balloon releases

Cons:

1. Takes a few practice balloons to get the hang of it 
2. Balloons can't be topped up
3. Approx £10 outlay but once bought can use over and over again

Inserting A Balloon Valve

Balloon Valve with Ribbon

A balloon valve (with ribbon) is a piece of plastic that fits inside the neck of the balloon and you then inflate the balloon with helium through the one-way valve. If hiring a helium tank you need to let your helium supplier know that you will be using valves so they can give you the right nozzle/adaptor. You need the hard black nozzle not the blue one with the flexible tip.

The plastic valve adds weight to your balloon so can considerably reduce any advertised float time - in some cases by up to 50%. On the plus side once inflated you can easily top the balloon up with helium so makes them very useful for things like shop displays but you don't really want someone running around your wedding reception with a helium tank topping up the balloons!

At about 10-12p each they can work out quite expensive if you are inflating a large number of balloons but are reusable. However as these valves are often used on "give-aways" - advertising balloons handed out to children - they aren't very often reused. When they are used on give-aways you should make sure they are weighted or tied to a child, pushchair etc.so they don't float away.

What goes up must come down, so when a balloon is released it will float up into the sky until it reaches about 5 miles above the earth then it will become brittle, shatter into very tiny pieces and fall to the ground at a rate of about 1 piece per every 5 miles. However, the same can't be said about anything attached to the balloon which will fall in the same state as it went up. Even worse is that the balloon valves can fall into fields, be broken up by farm machinery into tiny shards of plastic which can then be eaten by either domestic or wild animals slashing open their stomach and intestines and leading to a very painful death. This why I stated in an earlier blog that valves must NEVER be attached to a balloon that is going to be released.

Pros:

1. Can be fitted in advance so all you have to do on the day is inflate
2. Balloons can be topped up with helium

Cons:

1. Adds weight to the balloons so reduces the float time
2. Not pleasing to the eye in decorations
3. Work out expensive if not reused
4. Can't be used if releasing the balloons

Using a Balloon Seal

Balloon Seal with Ribbon

Balloon seals are small discs with a ribbon attached. They cost about the same as the balloon valves, are not quite as heavy as the valves, a little easier on the eye but you can't top the balloons up. The neck is placed inside a loop of ribbon either before or after inflating. When you pull on the ribbon it forces the neck through a small hole in the centre of the disc which folds the neck over and pinches it thus stopping the helium escaping.

Watch movie of balloon seal in action (real player required) demonstrator is using an automatic inflator but principle is the the same with standard inflator.

Need Real player?

Pros:

1. More pleasing to the eye than the balloon valves 
2. Not quite as heavy so won't affect float time as much as balloon valves

Cons:

1. Not as pleasing to the eye as a knot
2. Adds weight to the balloons so reduces the float time
3. Work out more expensive than just tying balloon to a ribbon
4. Can't be used if releasing the balloons

Cable Ties

Large balloons (3ft and bigger) have strong thick necks which can be quite difficult to tie. However you can fold the neck in half and then use a cable tie to secure - if you don't double the neck over the air/helium will slowly escape and your balloon will deflate quicker than you would like. Because these large balloons have a much greater lift ability you don't have to worry so much about the additional weight of the cable tie. As you should never release a balloon larger than 12" you don't have to worry about the fact that the seal is made of plastic as you won't be releasing it!

Other people have told me that it is possible to use a bag sealing machine (the type that butchers use) for smaller balloons and that it works quite well but, although I have never personally tried this method, I am sure the balloons would deflate quicker than with a knot as some leakage would occur. 

Pros:

1. Easier than tying strong & thick balloon necks
2. Easily obtainable

Cons:

1. May not float as long as a hand tied balloon as there may be some leakage if not secured tightly enough
2. Not as pleasing to the eye as a knot but as being used on a larger balloon, if it was a problem, this could be hidden with a bow, tulle etc.
3. Wouldn't recommend using on standard size balloons as combination of weight and helium/air loss could considerably reduce the float time.

Cup & Stick

Cup & Stick

The last method I want to cover is the cup & stick. You just inflate the balloon with air and wrap the neck around the cup which has a slot for you to feed the neck through and secure using the lip of the balloon.

We only stock the 2 piece cup & sticks where the cup and the stick come in 2 pieces. We choose to stock these as they are of a better quality than the majority of the 1 piece cup & sticks but both work using the same principal.

As give-aways these are ideal as helium is expensive and although they cost about 10p each (cheaper if buying larger quantities) this is much cheaper than helium. Children are usually quite happy with a balloon on a stick as opposed to a helium filled balloon on a ribbon. Downside is there is limited decorating possibilities with a balloon on a stick

Pros:

1. The cost of the cup & stick is more than covered by not having to pay for helium

Cons:

1. Limited decorating uses

Water Balloons - just for fun!

Latex balloons can also be filled with water and thrown. They usually burst on contact and the target gets wet! But can be just as fun when they don't burst!