When balloons are released into the sky, they eventually come down—and they often end up in our ocean and harm wildlife and marine ecosystems.
Every year, turtles, birds and other ocean animals suffer, and even die, from eating or becoming entangled in balloon litter. Balloons are the deadliest type of plastic that seabirds ingest, and they are 32 times more likely to kill seabirds compared to hard plastics. One study found that of the pieces of rubber eaten by sea turtles, 78% of those pieces were balloon fragments.
In nearly 40 years, Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup® volunteers from around the globe have picked up more than 1.8 million balloons littered across coastlines and waterways. While a few states across the country have passed statewide or municipal bills to ban or limit balloon releases, it’s time for the rest of the United States to catch up.
ACT NOW: Call on your state lawmakers to enact statewide balloon-release ban legislation.