Buy a balloon, save a tree!

Balloons are always associated with happiness, parties and joy, but what you don’t know is that they actually help save trees.

Balloons are actually made from natural latex, which comes from the sap of the rubber tree in a milky substance. These trees grow in the tropical regions of the world like Brazil, Guatemala, Malaysia and East India. Daily, they produce enough sap for three 25cm balloons which makes them quite economically valuable to businesses. With everyone wanting balloons at parties and events, the constant need for more rubber trees keeps this species alive and exuberant as they continue to be planted instead of being cut down for space clearing purposes.

The process by which latex balloons are made is similar to that of the maple tree. The sap is extracted from the tree and delivered to the manufacturer in its liquid form where they mix it with a non-toxic colouring and some moulds are then dipped into salt water which then acts to solidify the mixture. The moulds are then dipped into the mixture to create the balloon. The completed balloon offers a fun and decorative item that is used at parties and events around the world.

A lot of balloons are filled with helium (which is actually running out) which makes them rise. If you let go of a balloon, almost all of them rise to about 8.5 km and then the cold air causes the balloon to expand then eventually shatter. Few of these balloons don’t reach that far up and pushed around by wind currents for around 14 hours, eventually losing their helium and floating to the ground. Once they fall to the ground, it takes about 4-8 weeks for it to return to its sap state, making it completely safe in terms of decomposition. Latex balloons don’t harm animals once they are decomposing and studies have shown that they can pass the latex mixture through their body safely, without harm.

To ensure that your balloons are not harming the environment, the team at Party Supplies Online have created a checklist so that you can make sure your balloon habits are safe.

  • Always buy latex balloons so they can safely decompose once you’re finished with them
  • If you’re going to release them into the air, do so by implementing a ‘safe release’ which ensures that all balloons are latex as well as being hand tied or tied with a non-conductive curling ribbon. This will ensure the decomposition is safe for animals and the environment
  • Make sure balloons that are used inside are popped and disposed of correctly once finished with.
  • Helium balloons that are inside should be attached to a weight
  • Never release mylar (microfoil) balloons

More information can be found at

http://www.theballooncouncil.org/

http://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/about/resource-centre/results

At Party Supplies Online, we only stock Qualatex 100% latex, biodegradable non toxic balloons on our website which has many designs, sizes and colours for you to pick from for your next big event.

 

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