Plastic straws, plates, or bags are a very obvious example of how to influence the sustainability of the event. A slightly less obvious example – balloons.
Yes, balloons are hard to think about from a sustainability point of view, especially when it comes to decorations. Balloons are more or less included in every decoration to raise the event and sometimes maybe create that wow effect that everyone eagerly expects.
Are balloons an environmentally-friendly option for decorations? If special attention is paid to the choice of balloons, they can be. If they are made of quality material, if they are handled in the right way AND if they are ultimately disposed of in a proper way – there is no need to worry.
Latex balloons, filled with air or helium (but in this case they must be well sealed if they must be used in this time of helium shortage), recycled in a proper way instead of being thrown into the garbage will not create a problem but only contribute to the decorations at your event.
But what about those balloons that are released into the air?
Researching various sources that deal with this topic, they all agree that this option is not as sustainable as the first one, especially considering that the balloons fly uncontrollably AND will not go down in the trash but end up in the environment where they can cause damage until they completely decompose. Moreover, some states have banned the release of balloons by law.
In a conclusion, we can say that if balloons are handled with care, they can be an excellent addition to the decoration at the event. If you are not sure where they come from and whether you will later recycle them in the right way, there are other options that can be used to decorate your events and achieve the desired wow effect.
