Biodegradable Balloons
The Facts
Latex Balloons
All of our latex balloons are made from high quality natural latex which is created from the sap of rubber trees – an organic material which is fully biodegradable. Latex is harvested from trees in a similar manner to maple syrup. The tree is not cut down and can produce latex for over 30 years.
Sourcing Latex
Leading manufacturers source their latex from sustainable Rain Forest Alliance Certified and Forest Stewardship Council Plantations. This contributes to building healthy forests, thriving communities and fights climate change. A latex balloon biodegrades at the same rate as an oak leaf (6 months). Due to this, balloons can be disposed of in landfill as they take care of themselves.
Helium
Balloons use Grade 4 Helium – the lowest level of purity on the market. Grade 6 and above is the purest form, used for medical purposes. Both grades originate from the same sources but balloon-gas is unrefined containing about 2% other gases, meaning it is unsuitable for scientific applications.
24% of helium is used in cryogenic applications including MRI scanners
20% is used in the space industry
18% is used for welding
16% is used by the electronics industry for growing crystals
6% is used for leak detection
5% is used by the party industry for balloons
A typical MRI scanner uses about 10000 litres of liquid helium - the equivalent of 211,888 balloons.
An Environmentally Friendly Option
Balloons can fill a room with decor but what you are seeing is mostly air. Once popped, thousands of balloons will not even fill 1 bin bag and they are biodegradable. This is less waste than 1 cardboard sign/banner.
Balloon Releases
We do not condone or knowingly provide balloons for balloon releases. Releases are incredibly harmful for the environment and shouldn’t be conducted under any circumstance. When you are finished enjoying balloons please "pin it and bin it". Balloons should never be released outdoors.
Packaging
The boxes our inflated balloons arrive in are cardboard and widely recycled with your usual recyclable waste collection. The packaging we use for our DIY products is also recyclable and includes a minimum of 70% post-consumer waste, such as drinks bottles, reformed to make the boxes. When placed into general recycling, the facilities use an infrared system and will sort the box into their ' clear/natural' category which is then made into a new product such as guttering, windows and garden furniture.
Our Bubble Balloons are made from a super durable and stretchy plastic which makes them the perfect balloon to offer inflated via the post. They are made from Polypropylene, which is a product of natural polyolefin resins. In comparison to PVC which sits in landfills for hundreds of years, they take fewer natural resources to produce, generate fewer waste products in production and disposal and are widely recycled in the UK. Polyolefin resin is originally extracted from hydrocarbon sources, therefore, with the addition of carbon or hydrogen at high temperatures, Polypropylene becomes degradable. Unlike PVC or chlorine plastics, when burnt Polypropylene does not produce toxic gases.
See It In Practice
To celebrate the Bubblegum team getting to 100k on Instagram, we decided there was no better way to mark the occasion than by brightening up HQ and creating our best install to date.
Even better, we used all biodegradable balloons and demonstrated just how little impact the balloons have once the show is over. Armed with scissors we set to work and within 10 minutes the entire install was popped, removed and in one bin bag! Yes really, all of that over there - one bin bag.
So the next time you have something big to shout about, get in touch to see how Bubblegum Balloons can help make that happen in an environmentally conscious way.
