It’s time

We all know single-use plastic is a no no.

The government enforced plastic bag charges in 2015, which has seen a 95% drop in their use. Plastic straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers were banned in 2020, now only purchasable through pharmacies or available if requested by customers.

However our communal gaze keeps overlooking the balloon. Why? Perhaps they have special immunity because they're culturally associated with fun?

This needs to change. And fast.

But why?

Balloons are a big business. In the United States alone, up to 3 billion balloons are sold each year, and the global balloon market is forecast to reach 430.35 million USD by 2028. They may be making a big financial impact, but they’re also having a big negative impact on people, animals and the environment.

Balloons kill people. They’re the leading cause of paediatric choking deaths, and commonly cause anaphylaxis and asphyxiation.

Balloons kill animals. If they’re not mistaking them for food and choking to death, animals are getting entangled in balloon debris and dying from starvation and strangulation.

Balloons pollute our environment. Single-use plastics make up around 20% off all litter found on UK beaches. And even those labelled ‘biodegradable’ can last up to four years in a marine environment.

Balloons are a bad use of energy. The energy and resources used to produce balloons vastly outweighs their exceptionally brief moment of use.

Balloons misuse precious resources. Helium is a finite resource that is arguably better used for MRI scans and medical ventilators than pumping up balloons.

The solution

So how do we stop everyone from buying, displaying and celebrating balloons?

Well, if we were to give it a go, we would…

1. Identify key audiences - who are the worst balloon offenders/advocates?

2. Understand what motivates them - no-one will make a change if it doesn’t mean anything to them emotionally or practically

3. Find them - you can’t speak to anyone if you don’t know where they are

4. Make the message singular and simple - time is precious, attention spans are short

5. Give them one extremely clear action - again, time is precious, attention spans are short

6. Share a motivating alternative - If you’re going to stop something, what can you replace it with?