Balloon waste is avoidable pollution, and there are numerous alternatives we can all use instead of balloons, no matter whether we want to celebrate, commemorate or promote: 

• For a family member’s birthday party or other significant event, use a bubble machine, paper pom poms, colourful flags, banners, pin wheels, streamers or fly kites.
• For a memorial service, plant a native tree, donate seeds to a community garden, light candles or other luminaries, make a donation to a charity in the loved one’s memory, donate a park bench or equipment or play a favourite song or tune.
• For advertising or a product launch, use a dancing inflatable figure, flags, streamers or bunting which can all be re-used.

Lobby Local, State or Federal Governments

At present, environmental protection laws in each State and Territory regarding the release of balloons is fragmented. Victoria has announced a clear policy making the release of helium balloons illegal and a serious finable offence. In New South Wales, it is illegal to release 20 or more inflatable balloons at the one time (and any balloons released should not have any attachments). In Queensland, the deliberate or accidental release of balloons is considered littering, while in Western Australia balloons are only considered to be litter when they land, not when they are released. However, local governments across Australia are increasingly taking the lead with balloon release and littering. In each State and Territory, many local government associations have either banned the use of balloons on council-owned property, or banned their use/release in their jurisdictions.

You should enquire with your local council on their position with balloons, and if they do not have an effective policy, you can lobby them to ban balloon releases.

Join a Group

You can also join or support a community-based action group who aim to reduce balloon and other plastic-based waste, such as:

• Boycott Balloons Fremantle Facebook group

• No Balloon Release Australia Facebook group

• Balloons Blow group

Access resources

You can share fact sheets and resources with friends or family, including the excellent Zoos Victoria ‘When balloons fly, seabirds die’.

Meantime, the recently released Australian documentary Rubber Jellyfish further highlights ‘an unlikely ocean predator’ and the negative impacts that helium balloons have on the natural environment.

The Australian Marine Debris Initiative has an excellent balloon release action guide, which includes letter templates to prevent a future balloon release or to advise when balloon debris is found.