We love balloons here at Hello Party and feel that no party is complete without them, however, we love the environment more! So when using balloons, please follow our guidelines and enjoy balloons responsibly.
Latex balloons
It is a common misconception that latex balloons are made from plastic. Latex balloons are in fact made from 100% Natural Rubber Latex (NRL), which is collected from the Hevea Brasiliensis Pará rubber trees that are from sustainable Rainforest Plantations.
Latex balloons are also 100% biodegradable. They decompose at about the same rate as an oak leaf and recent biodegradability tests have confirmed that natural rubber balloons biodegrade to approximately 90% within 2 years, under test conditions.
Foil Balloons
Foil balloons (sometimes referred to as mylar balloons) are made of man-made materials such as nylon with an aluminium coating. They are not biodegradable so we recommend you try and reuse your foil balloons where possible.
Did you know you can top up your foil balloons? If they are starting to deflate and look a bit sad, simply insert the helium nozzle into the valve and re-inflate.
Reuse
Alternatively, you can try to deflate the balloon so you can fold it up and store it for another time! All you need is a drinking straw watch this useful video for how to do it: How to Reuse Foil Balloons Tutorial Do be careful though as the valves are delicate and can be damaged if you are too rough! The once you are ready to use again inflate in the same way as before.
Hello Party DOES NOT advocate Balloon Releases!
If you let a balloon go, you are littering. Plain and simple. Do not be a litterbug, follow our easy guidelines and be an environmental hero!
If using helium inflated balloons, always make sure they are weighted with a suitable weight to prevent them from being inadvertently released, and that air-filled balloons are suitably anchored to guarantee that they cannot be released into the atmosphere and become litter.
The advice for all of our customers is to use balloons responsibly and adopt the 'Don’t Let Go' policy. When the party is over, deflate and cut balloons and any ribbon into small pieces, sealing them tightly in a bag before discarding them in the bin.
To recap:
- All balloons must be disposed of responsibly.
- Don’t let go! Pin it and Bin It.
- Whilst latex balloons are 100% biodegradable, they must still be disposed of with household or commercial waste.
- Reuse Foil (Mylar) balloons where possible.
- Once finished with, deflate and cut the balloons and ribbons into small pieces and put in the bin.
Hello Party is a proud member of NABAS, The National Association of Balloon Artists and Suppliers, and follow a strict code of conduct to ensure a minimal impact on the environment. Hello Party is also a member of PEBA UK – Pro Environmental Balloon Alliance – UK and is committed to educating on the responsible use and disposal of balloons.
Further Reading:
PEBA | Fact Sheet - Balloons & The Environment
EBPC European Balloon and Party Council Fact Sheet
