Balloon Releases A Bust, Environmental Agencies Say

ST. CHARLES—What goes up, must come down. This law of physics applies to balloons, as well.

The St. Charles Natural Resource Commission (NRC) wants Fox Valley residents to remember that fact this summer when graduation parties, holidays, memorials and tributes take place.

Balloons are “basically flying litter just waiting to land,” which can cause harm to birds, turtles, fish and other animals who might come across them once they're back on the ground, NRC officials said.

The string or ribbon of one a single balloon can strangle or entangle an unsuspecting animal. A deflated balloon can also look like a worm or some other tasty, non-protesting prey, and an animal may swallow it, NRC officials noted.

“Even if a wayward balloon isn’t ingested, they often end up as trash, like a coffee cup or cigarette butt tossed from a car,” the commission warned.

Balloons also have the capacity to snag on power lines and cause outages, a consequence that many people don’t realize.

The group suggest that instead of sending balloons up into the sky, people plant a tree, an act that will create a lasting impact. The branches will reach skyward, much like a balloon, but there is no harm done to the environment.

Instead of a balloon release, Legacy.com recommends several alternatives, like blowing bubbles as a big group, holding a candlelight vigil, planting a tree, or writing messages on seed paper and planting them.

More environmentally friendly ways to celebrate or memorialize can be found at Balloons Blow.