Balloons and the Environment - How do you communicate Environment-Friendly practices to your customers?

Keeping your customers informed and giving them information on how they can enjoy their balloons responsibly is essential for all in the balloon industry, especially customers and balloon professionals. Sharing this information can be done in several ways:

Care Cards

A care card highlights the importance of enjoying balloons responsibly to best protect the environment. These are perfect add-on to give to your clients with their balloon purchase. Cards such as these highlight the following messages:

DON'T LET GO

Please don't release helium-filled balloons outdoors - helium balloons should always be secured to a weight. Always dispose of balloons responsibly.

Balloons are a much-loved product that brings joy and helps us celebrate the special moments in life.

As a responsible balloon business, we want to protect our environment from any unnecessary litter. We have therefore made the decision not to support the release of any balloons into the environment. We encourage our customers to support this position and not undertake or endorse balloon releases of any kind. 

INFLATE SAFELY

To remove the risk of injury, always use a balloon pump and NEVER inhale helium.

SUPERVISE CHILDREN UNDER 8

Uninflated or burst balloons can present a choking hazard - please supervise small children at all times.

BE LATEX ALLERGY AWARE

Balloons made of natural rubber latex may cause a reaction in those with latex allergies. Look out for symptoms and seek help if required.

ALWAYS DISPOSE OF BALLOONS RESPONSIBLY

Remember when you've finished with a balloon, simply snip the end of the balloons with scissors before placing in a suitable bin. 

Pioneer Europe, in conjunction with the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC), has developed a collection of environmental marketing materials that we can use freely within our businesses to educate consumers to enjoy balloons responsibly, promoting the message: "Don't let go."

There are five downloadable flyers that you can use:

Posters - these can be displayed in your shops and stores.

Leaflets - Gives even more information than the Care Card

Carecards - see above

Weight Labels - Weight Stickers will stick on the underside of many commonly used balloon weights.

These are available in 24 different languages. Click on the appropriate language and it will take you directly to the link.

Bulgarian 

Croatian 

Czech 

Danish 

Dutch 

English 

Estonian 

Finnish

Flemish 

French 

Gaelic 

​​​​​​​German 

Greek 

Hungarian 

Italian 

Latvian

Lithuanian 

Maltese 

Polish 

Portuguese 

Slovakian 

Slovenian 

Spanish 

Swedish

Social Media Posts

Having a variety of posts is important for any business, and sharing environmental posts especially will be a very positive thing to do. It will act as a regular reminder to your customers and followers that you take environmental issues seriously! 

Once again, there are some great pre-made posts that are available from www.qualatex.com, which can be found in the SUSTAINABILITY section on the website. 

Here are a few examples of the types of posts that are available.

Have you ever seen a social media post from EU Partysafe? I would expect not, as unless you know about them, you probably won't be following them... start following them today! EU Partysafe is a consumer-facing page run by the European Balloon & Party Council, a Non-Governmental Organisation that represents all the key players in the balloon & party industry. Their aim is to raise awareness & educate consumers on balloon and party-related  products.

Here are a few examples of posts that EUPartysafe shares, and you could do something similar or even better! Sharing their posts on your business page clearly reinforces the message and will potentially guide your customers to their website, which gives even more consumer information on balloons and the environment as well as other information relating to party products.

EU Party Safe posts are succinct, and always feature important facts paired with an eye-catching photo. Free photo stock can be found on the Qualatex website in the Marketing Material in the Inspiration tab. CANVA has some great photo stock, some of which is free. Using an eye-catching, and appropriate photo will help to attract attention to your posts and hopefully their important messages too! 

Did you know

Latex balloons are plant-based

In fact, they are made from the sap of rubber trees, NOT from plastic as is sometimes reported

Always re-use before you recycle

Remember:

foil balloons are not biodegradable;

flatten and store your foil balloons when possible;

re-use your foil balloons. You may be surprised how good they will look!

Here are a few more important websites that will help you to source balloon-related environmental information and messages that you can use. 

The Balloon Council - http://www.theballooncouncil.org

Pro Environment Balloon Alliance (PEBA) - https://www.peba.com.au

Let us all enjoy the magic of balloons for many more years to come, but we need your help to make this possible! Please help us to promote the responsible use of balloons! 

A huge thank you to EBPC for allowing me to share material from their Facebook page.

Happy and responsible Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

IMPORTANT - Update on Balloons in the Environment

There has never been a more important time in our industry than now to educate and inform our customers and our fellow balloon artists of best balloon practices in regards to the environment.

In the last year, there has been increased press coverage of balloons and their effect on the environment. Only last week balloons made headline news in the UK; but it was unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. I know that the same is happening in many countries around the world!

It is important that everyone within our industry is proactive in helping to educate consumers on best balloon practices - particularly ahead of the publication of the Single Use Plastic Directive.

Pioneer Europe, in conjunction with the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC), has developed a collection of environmental marketing materials that we can use freely within our businesses to educate consumers to enjoy balloons responsibly, promoting the message: "Don't let go."

We need to share this message with fellow balloon professionals to ensure that, as an industry, we become a united front that shows and demonstrates that we care about the environment and that we are a responsible profession. 

This means, no more balloon releases, and that includes the release of latex balloons too. Check out more details on this at my blog post - Why We Should Ban Balloon Releases.

So how can you help?

Start spreading the word! There are five downloadable flyers that you can use:

• Posters
• Leaflets
• Carecards
• Weight Labels

These are available in 24 different languages. Click on the appropriate language and it will take you directly to the link.

Bulgarian
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English
Estonian
Finnish
Flemish
French
Gaelic
​​​​​​​German
Greek
Hungarian
Italian
Latvian
Lithuanian
Maltese
Polish
Portuguese
Slovakian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish

We ask that you to download and share the materials with your customers and fellow balloon professionals immediately. 

Posters can be displayed in your shops and stores.

Care Cards can be handed out with every balloon order and delivery. 

Weight Labels can be stuck to the base of weights.

When creating decor for a client, make sure that you supply them with  Balloons and the Environment  - A helpful Guide leaflet.

Any of these could be used in your social media campaigns.

These materials are also available to purchase in printed format in English only. If you would like to know more click HERE.

Please help us to spread the word. Be sure to always ask customers not to release balloons and to always dispose of their balloons responsibly after they have finished with them. Please help us to educate fellow balloon professionals who may not understand why this is such an important issue.

Thank you for reading!

Happy and responsible ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

#suebowler

Care Cards - A Great way to let your Customers Know how to take Care of their Balloons

Giving your customers information on how to care for their balloons can truly help, especially if something goes wrong! I often see posts on Facebook where someone asks for advice on how to deal with a customer who has complained about a bad balloon experience. Maybe some of those situations could be avoided if we supply our clients with a "Care Card" or a "Balloon Fact Sheet" at the time of purchase or when we are installing balloons for a client.

There are many things that we can include on our "Care Cards" or a "Enjoy your Balloons" fact sheet. I would recommend that you choose those that are most relevant to the types of balloons, and or decor that you are supplying.

1. Balloons and Temperature: Please don't leave balloons in a hot car - helium expands in the heat and this could cause your balloons to pop! We recommend that you use air conditioning in your vehicle when transporting balloons on a hot day. If your balloons get rained on and start to droop, don't worry – they'll float again when dry. When helium-filled balloons are taken into the cold, they will temporarily deflate and will re-inflate again when warm.

2. Balloons - Child and Pet Precautions: Balloons are not a toy. Uninflated or burst balloons can present a choking hazard and should never be left with children under the age of eight without supervision. Store balloons away from pets to ensure that they cannot get themselves tangled with balloon ribbons or accidentally ingest popped balloons or their decorative contents such as confetti, feathers, or other materials. If a balloon pops, clear away any broken balloons and it's decorative contents (if applicable) immediately.

3. Balloons and the Environment: At the end of a balloon's life, cut the end of the balloon with scissors to remove any air or balloon gas, then dispose of it in the bin. NEVER release balloons into the environment. ALL released balloons become litter. They can get caught up in trees or power lines. Remember - Don't Let Go & Pin It and Bin It 😊

4. Balloons and Allergies: Most balloons are made of natural rubber latex and may cause allergies. Please look out for symptoms in case of allergies and seek immediate help.

5. Inhalation of helium: Inhaling helium can be dangerous and it is not recommended. It can deprive your body of oxygen and can result in a fatality.

6. Balloons and Ceilings: Lights, paint textures, irregular surfaces and even static can all pop balloons. If you are planning on placing your balloons on a ceiling, ensure that you test it first.

7. Latex balloons and Oxidization: Clear balloons become cloudy quickly when exposed to heat and sunshine. Coloured balloons will take on a velvety, matte appearance.

8. Balloons can Pop: While we use the highest quality balloons and take every precaution necessary with your balloons to ensure they last through your event, once the balloons leave our door or we have left the venue, they are out of our control.

You can certainly go into much greater detail if you plan to publish this information on your website. You could cover more information regarding balloons, different weather conditions, the environment and how to dispose of balloon weights - especially if they are filled with water or sand!

Finally, I just wanted to make you aware of a great website called Party Safe. This is a dedicated party website for consumers, the education sector, retailers, artists, and decorators and is packed with so much great information!

About Party Safe: Partysafe is managed and run by the European Balloon & Party Council (EBPC)."We provide small products with a big impact that creates memories for life. With over 35 key manufacturers and distributors across Europe, our products span the globe.

This site is dedicated to children, parents, consumers, NGO's and industry providers. Basically - everyone who has ever been involved in parties. It provides an overview for some of our products as well as an education network for schools. If you wish to discover the meanings of some of our warnings, instructions, and labels - please take a deeper look through our site.

The EBPC has members who are technical experts in all aspects of their manufacturing and safety. As well as working within their main roles, some of them also contribute towards improvement of the EN71 - Safety of Toys, the safety standards for toys in Europe. This work, of course, aligns closely with the Toy Safety Directive.

If you would like any more information about the European Balloon & Party Council, please head over to our website at www.ebpcouncil.eu, take a look at our premier league member base and feel free to get in touch.

When it comes to party product information - we're the experts. Rest assured you're in the right hands."

I have really enjoyed working on this blog post. It has made me think about many different situations that can have an impact on balloons and balloon decor. While I have tried to highlight some of the "bigger" issues, I have certainly not covered everything in this post. If you have any suggestions that I can add, please let me know. 

Happy and safe ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler

Follow me - #suebowler

Why We Should Stop Balloon Releases

This is a highly emotive topic for the balloon industry. There are those balloon professionals who no longer support, or condone, nor facilitate the deliberate release of balloons into the atmosphere, and those who believe that when conducted properly, and with the right materials, latex balloon releases are harmless to wildlife and the environment.

But I would like to start this post with a few thought-provoking words from Chris Adamo, CBA, of Balloons Online in Sydney, Australia.

"Our industry is on the brink of a new era. We really do face the risk of loosing our jobs and our wonderful community through misinformed policy makers. We need to accept the situation and take proactive action to future proof the balloon industry. Banning balloon releases and educating the public on best practice latex disposal is something we all can decide to do, something we can all agree on and start today so we can once again concentrate on the positive story that balloons so naturally exude." 

So what is all the fuss about?

Many environmentally conscious organisations and private individuals expressed a real concern on what harmful effects latex balloon releases might have both as litter and to wildlife through ingestion.

This concern has extended well beyond the environmentalists and is now one of the hot topics for governments and councils around the world, many who have already banned balloons or are calling upon balloons to be banned. Some talk about balloon releases, whilst others talk about a complete ban of balloons - this is scary! 

It cannot be disputed that balloon releases cause litter - "What goes up, must come down!" 

But are there any substantiated facts as to what actually happens to a latex balloon once it has been released?

A recent report indicates that of those latex balloons that could be traced after a monitored balloon release, approximately 12% burst into small pieces, and 81% were recovered with half of the balloon mass intact. Another study suggests - "Wwhen a latex helium balloon reaches the low temperatures within that 5-6 mile altitude range, it will actually freeze. The elasticity of latex decreases significantly in low temperatures, so the helium balloon that was expanding suddenly becomes incredibly brittle.
What happens next is not the traditional pop that you and I are used to seeing, but instead something simply called “shattering.” The helium balloon breaks in a manner that is similar to smashing a mirror, and all that is left are very small pieces of cold latex that sprinkle back down to the planet (It’s said that these shattered pieces are too small to pose any threats to animals because they are easily passed through the system if ingested.)
Of course, there are exceptions. Variables that can throw a hitch in these rules include poorly manufactured or flawed latex, latex that is unable to expand significantly or expands too quickly, helium balloons that are not fully inflated, or the altitude and climate of the place from which the balloon was released."

Every day we are seeing more and more negative reports about balloons and the environment, and yes, many of them are untrue or unsubstantiated. 

"All released balloons, including those falsely marketed as “biodegradable latex,” return to Earth as ugly litter. They kill countless animals and cause dangerous power outages." - Balloon Blow - Don't Let Them Go

The problem that we have is that most people - the public - cannot distinguish between types of balloons. For them, a balloon is a balloon whether its latex, foils, or otherwise, and therefore any released "balloons" are polluting our planet.

So as an industry, what can we do to change public perception?

I believe like so many other balloon professionals that we need to unify as an industry and show that we are responsible and that we definitely care about the environment, and for that reason, we need to do something positive that proves it. 

There are several groups and organisations that are working very hard to make this happen.

The Pro Environment Balloon Alliance - PEBA, have three main messages;

NO BALLOON RELEASES

Members of PEBA do not support, or condone, nor will they facilitate the deliberate release of balloons. PEBA is happy to work with any authority (local, state, or federal) in supporting any legislation calling for a ban on the deliberate release of balloons.

PROMOTE THE CORRECT DISPOSAL OF BALLOONS

Members of PEBA will continue to educate their clients, venue managers and the general public, by all possible means, in the correct disposal of balloons and strongly support BASA's "Pin it and Bin It" campaign.

INFORM AND EDUCATE
PEBA will actively promote the positive environmental aspects of balloons, while presenting a balanced view to members, the public and any authorities, on all matters pertaining to balloons and the environment.

http://www.peba.com.au/#


The European  Balloon and Party Council - EBPC mission statement 

Don't let go - we love the environment too!

"We have requested that our members do not release balloons and we urge the public to 'Don't let go'. Please read our tips on our 'How to handle balloons' page and dispose of balloons responsibly."

Don't let go
EBPC's position on balloon releases;

Balloons are a unique much-loved product and are considered irreplaceable in what they offer. Over the last few years, the industry has seen changes in consumer viewpoints and perceptions related to such products. Although these changes and increased participation have surfaced in the last few years, the rise of social media platforms and technology has enabled better reporting of such viewpoints and perceptions.

To comply with the EBPC mission statement, “To educate and promote the fun use of balloons and party products safely, ethically and in respect of the environment”, and as a responsible organisation shaping our industry, we recognise the impact of our products within its marketplace. This monitoring, along with our corporate social responsibility, has led the council to pioneer new thinking within our industry on how balloons should be handled in respect of the environment, which has led to an agreement that ‘the EBPC does not support balloon releases’ as we wish to protect the environment from unnecessary litter. While latex balloon releases are visually appealing, the resulting deflated or partially inflated balloons that return to the ground is visually offensive to many, and we must respect this. This is becoming even more important as local authorities across the world are introducing penalties for balloon releases on their land or property.

The EBPC provides a united front to protect and grow the industry by promoting and facilitating best practices through the coalition of its members across the EU. We look to all members to support our stance in this good cause and encourage promotion of this positive message with respect to the environment.

What's happening in the animal world?

We cannot say for sure how many animals are affected by balloon releases. There are many reports of the same instances. However, during research at EBPC in 2016, we have identified less than 6 cases since 1885 where evidence has suggested balloons to be the cause of an animal death. This was in line with the findings of research by DEFRA in 2013.

Unfortunately, we have also found evidence of misleading claims and repeated instances of the same photographs, or pictures that have been doctored and used for bad publicity of balloons. To reiterate, we love the environment and wish no harm to any form of life.

Don't let go – our message to consumers is clear


We are an evidence-based organisation and only work with facts. If you would like more information about anything on our website, please get in touch.

https://ebpcouncil.eu/the-framework/balloon-releases

Balloon and Party Industry Alliance - BAPIA

"BAPIA has taken the decision to no longer support the release of balloons into the environment. This decision has been taken based on the feedback from our members who have told us overwhelmingly that they feel balloon releases are not good for the environment and that they would totally support this decision. We would ask all members of the public to follow this lead and don't let go of helium filled balloons as it can have a negative effect on the environment. We know that our members will be happy to discuss alternative creative options with their customers. Enjoy balloons responsibly!"

www.bapiaonline.com

At this time, we still have a choice, and whether you join PEBA, EBPC, or BAPIA, and follow their lead and choose not to release any balloons is your decision. But as Chris  Adamo and many others are saying, our industry is on the brink of a new era, and to be honest we need to change with the times. And as Chris said to me - "things that once were considered okay to do are no longer considered acceptable - remember sitting on a plane where people smoked or traveled in a car without a seatbelt?"


Happy 'Responsible' Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com

Resources: 

"Helium balloon: What happens when you let go," by Kathi Ledidenon 13 August 2015,
Mass Latex Balloon Releases and the Potential Effect on Wildlife - Stephan Irwin 8-2012

Save our balloons!

California is in the process of trying to ban sales of all foil/metallic balloons. 

This is serious folks!

This bill would totally ban the sale and use of helium-filled metallic balloons in the State of California, as of January 1, 2018.

•Selling and distributing balloons made of, or attached to, electrically conductive materials would be punished as follows:

–A first offence is punished as an infraction punishable by a fine of up to $250; and

–A second subsequent offence is punishable as a misdemeanour/criminal act.

•The bill will wreak economic havoc and possibly destroy hundreds of balloon and party businesses.

•Legislation in California can have a ripple effect on other states and will severely hurt anyone in the balloon business

22,000 jobs are dependent on balloon sales in California, and 60,000,000 foil balloons are sold annually in the state. Direct and indirect sales from balloons are estimated to be nearly $1.1 billion. (Source: http://www.theballooncouncil.org/take-action/)

If you live outside of California, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about or why balloons are such a big problem in California.

The issue all started over 30 years ago when the random release of helium-filled foil balloons caused some very serious power outages. Proponents of the ban suggest that balloon-related outages cost Californians millions of dollars each year, but they don’t provide much information on how they calculate that number.

In 1990 the California State Legislature passed SB 1990, a compromise bill supported by the balloon industry enacting a law to regulate the sales and use of helium-filled foil balloons. The law was passed in an effort to reduce power outages related to balloons.

In short, to be in accordance with the California Balloon Law and reduce electrical power incidents, all retail shops that sell balloons should follow the guidelines below:

• Weight all helium-filled foil balloons.

• Tie all ribbons to the weight so if they are released they will float away individually. DO NOT tie ribbons together before attaching to weight. Tie them to the weight with one knot each.

• Do not use metallic ribbon with helium-filled balloons.

The balloon industry has promoted these standards throughout the world, and it is working to ensure these Smart Balloon Practices are known and implemented by everyone who sells balloons.

In 2008, the issue resurfaced and a California legislator proposed to ban the sale of all foil balloons by the year 2010, once again due to the claimed increased number of power outages. An opposition grassroots campaign, “Save Our Balloons,” was set up by florists, special events planners, and small businesses to fight this new bill. Once again, due to the strong opposition, a compromise bill was passed. Because of the state’s financial crisis, the governor vetoed all “non-essential” bills and the California Balloon Law has remained the same since 1990.

So here we are again, faced with the same frightening ban that could truly affect our industry worldwide!

 So what can we do?