Throw Your Hats in the Air for Graduation but keep the Balloons Tied Down

TRENTON, N.J., May 09, 2017 -- Millions of balloons will be sold over the next few weeks to recognize Mother’s Day and graduations across the country. Balloons arranged in school colors or sparkling foil balloons featuring hearts and flowers for Mom are wonderful ways to celebrate, but The Balloon Council recommends following Smart Balloon Practices to make sure balloons don’t wind up where they don’t belong.

“Everyone loves balloons, they make us feel happy and are a great way to celebrate, but we need people to be mindful of how they handle and dispose of balloons,” said Lorna O’Hara, of The Balloon Council, an organization made up of responsible retailers, distributors, and manufacturers that are dedicated to educating others about the wonders of balloons and the proper handling of them.

Here are some quick tips to follow:

• Do not release foil balloons into the air – although it is rare, they can become tangled in power lines and turn into roadside litter
• Keep balloons secured with a string and tied to a weight
• If you have a group of helium-filled balloons tie each balloon individually to the weight so they won’t detach as a cluster
• Keep deflated or popped latex balloons away from children to avoid risks of choking
• Latex balloons are made of natural rubber latex and are biodegradable, but may cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to natural rubber latex
• When finished with balloons, pop them and properly dispose of them

The Balloon Council will be re-launching a national education campaign over the next few months to increase awareness of Smart Balloon Practices, and to empower the public to take simple steps that will help mitigate issues that threaten to impact the use and enjoyment of balloons across the country.

The Balloon Council invites the public to share their balloon filled celebration photos with us by posting to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/balloonsliftup or our Instagram site: https://www.instagram.com/balloonsliftup/

For more information about Smart Balloon Practices visit: https://balloonsliftup.com/ 

Contact: Stacey Ehling, 609-408-2461, [email protected]