Defending the balloon industry.

Once again the balloon industry is under attack as plastic pollution awareness is on the increase. Misinformed MPs having their say on radio, the press getting the wrong end of the stick and blowing everything out of proportion.

Lets get on thing clear…LATEX BALLOONS ARE NOT PLASTIC. They are made of tree sap and are 100% bio-degradable. There, I’ve said it.

Balloon gas is not pure helium, it’s a bi-product left during the cleaning process of raw helium when extracted from the earth. Helium is a lighter than air natural gas that is constantly escaping through the earth’s crust. All we are doing is harvesting this gas and releasing it into the earths atmosphere at a later date. Pure helium is used in MRI Scans, X Rays to name but a few. The balloon industry does not use this helium until it has been used (spent) and recaptured and then sold to us as balloon gas. The balloon industry is the only industry in the world to use spent helium which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere at a later date. How green is that!

Pure helium is very expensive and about 25 times the cost of balloon gas

So, let’s get back to the plastic pollution thing. Whilst on holiday last week in The Gower I spent a lot of time waking with my two dogs (Midnight & Zara) on some amazing beaches and put my time to good use. Every time I spotted a foreign object on the shore line I photographed it

All the photos were taken on one beach during a morning walk at low tide.

I’ll let the photographs do the talking.,

The unspoilt beaches of The Gower

But I did find a balloon.

Please don’t take me wrong, I’m not in favour of balloon releases. I believe that education is vital and when misinformation is given out then it should be challenged.

Plastic is the problem NOT individual latex balloon