Did you know that in Indonesia, releasing a bunch of balloons for a celebration is still happening and becoming a trend until now? Imagine how much wasted balloon and helium are at the same time? Once released, balloons travel into the air until they pop and fall back down. Most commonly, these balloons fall along coastlines, beaches, and into waterways.

Balloons harm marine life because they’re often ingested by animals. Animals mistake balloons for food and fill their bellies with the polluted pieces. Believing they’re full, they risk starvation because they haven’t eaten anything of nutritional value. In addition, balloons risk intestinal obstruction once ingested. Balloons break down into small pieces of brightly coloured plastic that can look like food and are often ingested by wildlife. Balloons are often found in the stomachs of dead animals.

Helium that used for fill up balloon also caused a damage for the environment. Helium is a colorless, odorless, inert, non-toxic gas and is used to make balloons lighter than air or float. But is it bad for the environment? The answer is no.

When released into the atmosphere, helium, the second most abundant element in the universe, has no adverse effect on the environment and, in fact, escapes into space. While there are periodic supply chain delivery challenges, new sources of helium are continually being discovered in countries around the globe such as Canada, Qatar, and Russia.
Instead of releasing balloon, we can do something memorable for a celebration. Such as write a message on the rock then throw it to the lake, blow bubbles, plant a tree, light the candle, and use flower.

We can change the trend by ourself and save the planet from the damage!