Balloon releases are extremely popular and have been for decades.
However, balloons are polluting the Great Lakes.
A survey from the nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes found more than 18,000 balloons, balloon pieces or balloon strings along the Great Lakes shorelines between 2016 and 2018.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the concern over balloon litter lead 5 states to limit or ban releases: California, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. At least eight other state legislatures are considering such laws: Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Maine.
A number of cities also have ordinances against intentional balloon releases, including San Francisco, Baltimore and Louisville, Kentucky.
University of Michigan master's student Lara O'Brien is seeking volunteers to report where, when and what types of balloons they find on Great Lakes shorelines.
Findings can be reported online at: https://arcg.is/1OfbKT.
Meanwhile, The Balloon Council, a New Jersey-based balloon trade organization, encourages smart balloon practices:
- Keep balloons secured to a weight.
- Do not release balloons to the air.
- Dispose of deflated or popped balloons properly.