Plastic strips and balloon fragments float to the top of the water column, where animals eat or become entangled in them. This can lead to death by suffocation, starvation or drowning.
Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker announced her partnership with Balloon Mission, a nonprofit that collects and repurposes latex and mylar balloons before they become litter. Her office will provide a balloon recycling bin for delivery.
Cynthia Seibold, the organization’s executive director, commented: “We get it. People love balloons. With vibrant colors and a big display at a low cost, it’s no wonder they’re more popular than ever! But when the fun’s over, no one knows for sure where they end up or what unintended consequences they have in our world.”
Mylar balloons are made from thin sheets of plastic, then sprayed with aluminum to give them a shiny, reflective surface, according to the group. In the outside environment, mylar balloons degrade, losing their coating and becoming transparent like plastic bags. Although latex balloons are made of rubber, they have plastic added to keep them inflated longer and are not biodegradable. Plastic strips and balloon fragments float to the top of the water column, where animals eat or become entangled in them. This can lead to death by suffocation, starvation or drowning.
In 2019, legislator Anker sponsored legislation to ban the intentional release of balloons after learning of the harm balloons pose to our marine life and environment.
“Thousands of helium balloons are released at high school graduations, events and celebrations. These balloons end up on the ground, get tangled in trees or power lines, or most likely land in our oceans. Marine Life and Birds can become entangled, suffocate or die from balloon debris. People need to be aware of the magnitude of this problem,” said lawmaker Anker. “One study found that for seabirds, balloons are the highest risk from plastic debris. Besides balloons, more than 100,000 marine mammals die each year from plastic debris. With so much pollution in our oceans, we can help by Make a difference by taking this small step to help clean up our oceans.”
One of the Balloon Mission’s initiatives is to work with the region to raise awareness and give people the opportunity to do better for our environment.For more information on balloon missions, visit https://balloonmission.org/. If you would like to drop a balloon, please call Legislator Anker’s office at 631-854-1600.
