Remember the time when you were just a child and played with balloons! You had no worries and your parents loved the joy on your face when you see the colorful balloons. Now, you just miss the good old day. Amidst all this, have you ever wondered what are balloons made of?
Balloons are normally made of either rubber, latex, nylon, or metallicized plastic. Numerous plastic variants exist as well. However, most balloons are made of latex. Rubber balloons are typically found in laboratories. Meanwhile, metallicized ones are reserved for fancier affairs.
It’s good to know what balloons are made of! You could be using balloons for decorations. A surprise party, a birthday party, a baby shower, and what not! You see balloons everywhere. It’s good to know what you’re dealing with so that you can avoid what’s not suitable for the environment. Taking care of the planet Earth is your responsibility so you have to be aware of the do’s and don’t of it.
In the past, balloons were made from the dried animal bladder. It’s interesting how the world evolves and new things are introduced. Although balloons can be fun for the event and they add color to your party, it’s not ideal for the environment. Next time when you get the balloons, think about your environment.
Read on for more information.
What are most balloons made of?
Most balloons nowadays are made of latex, nylon fabric, rubber, or polychloroprene. In the past, dried animal bladders were used for the balloons. A ballon is an inflatable and flexible kind of bag. You can fill it with different types of gas such as helium, oxygen, hydrogen, and a lot more.
The use of balloons is not just confined to decorations. You can find these balloons in different colors to add brightness to your event, but some balloons could be useful in medical treatment and even military defense. Thanks to Michael Faraday the rubber balloons were introduced in 1824. It’s important to understand what balloons are made of as some materials may not be ideal for the environment we live in. after all, you have to put the safety and well-being of the environment in the first place.
Are balloons eco-friendly?
Not all types of balloons are eco-friendly. In fact, some of the balloons could be dangerous to the environment. It’s important that you identify the eco-friendly balloons so that you would know which ones are a better choice!
Usually, you can spot eco-friendly balloons marketed as 100% biodegradable and these could be made from latex. No matter what’s the case, it’s important that you check the relevant details. Also, do a little research on your own when buying a certain brand of products especially if you are conscious about the well-being of the environment. It’s possible that a certain company may market the balloons as fully biodegradable, but with the addition of dyes and other chemicals, it can still impact the environment.
The balloons that are not eco-friendly can be dangerous to the environment. Imagine, balloons flying in the air, but one day they may land on the wrong side where they can impact the birds and animals. When you care about the life of other animals, you have to see what type of balloons you are buying and what’s the correct way to get rid of them.
It’s fun to add balloons to your events. In fact, you might find an event dull that has no balloons. When you find it tempting to use the balloons for your event, make sure you get the ones that are suitable for the environment.
Are balloons safe to eat?
Balloons are not meant to be food. If a small child accidentally swallows the balloon, it can be dangerous. If an older child accidentally eats it, the balloon can pass through the system, but there still could be chances to get stuck. Never let children eat balloons, such things are not edible.
It’s important that you know what type of balloons you are using especially when you are inviting small kids to the party. You never know what may happen when small kids are playing with the balloons. Small parts and pieces can cause a choking hazard so even if you are using the world’s best balloon, it can still be a threat.
When children are playing with the balloons, make sure there is an adult for supervision. You can’t let a child eat balloons nor it’s safe to eat for you or the animals.
Only eat things that are safe to eat! Balloons are not for human consumption. In case of an accident it’s a different story, but don’t try to eat the balloons on purpose. You are living in an era of information technology, keep an eye on the campaigns that are trying to make this world safe and sound for the coming generations.
There is a reason why environment-friendly products are making their place on the market. Companies are striving to bring alternatives that can make this world a safe place. Make sure you know what type of balloons can be safe for your party. Don’t fall for the cheap ones.
A balloon that’s not safe for the environment can land anywhere especially if it’s filled with helium gas. You never know where it may land. An animal may try to ingest is and thus, it can be dangerous for the animals. Also, a balloon that’s released in such a way can cause power outages, and a lot more damage is possible. So when buying the balloons, you have to be extra cautious as you never know what may happen.
Can you recycle popped balloons?
Not balloons are recyclable, but you can reuse the balloons to some extent. The latex balloons are compostable; however, they may take up to two years. It’s a long time, but still better than not being recyclable or decomposable at all. It’s important to be conscious when using balloons for decorations or important events. What’s the point of adding something to a party that can be hard on the environment.
Popped balloons in small pieces can be dangerous for small kids. Anything that’s small can be a choking hazard. When it comes to selecting balloons for an event, make sure you opt for the latex ones. It’s even better if you drop the idea of using balloons, especially if well being of the environment is your number one priority.
A balloon pops when you poke it or when the air pressure inside the balloon is more than the outer air. The stretched balloon has potential energy, which converts to kinetic energy when you leave it to its original position so an air-filled balloon is stretched and has potential energy.
You can check out the recycling programs in your area. You have to check with the recycling centers to see what to do with the popped balloons especially those that are not made from latex.
Although you can’t recycle the latex balloons, you can put these in the compost bin. It’s better as otherwise, it may take up to two years and by that time it may affect the environment negatively.
When it comes to the use of foil balloons, it’s hard to get rid of them. Even the recycling centers may refuse to accept these. If that’s the case, you can keep the balloons with you at a safe place where it’s not reachable for the kids or pets. In order to make your life easy, you can use the popped balloons in a creative way, for example:
- Try making some kind of art with the popped balloons. You have to be creative with the popped balloons!
- You can make something that’s safe and easy to use. For example, use it for making cards. Make sure you are putting it to good use so that it doesn’t end up in landfills or affect the wildlife.
If however, you have leftover balloons that are not popped, you can use these for different occasions. Try using the same balloons back to back so that you can make the most of them before they are popped. A balloon that starts deflating can be useful for playing games with your kids. You can invent your own games. You have to be creative when you’re not sure what to do with the leftover balloons in your life.
Conclusion
Balloons are made of different types of materials. Some could be made from latex, rubber, nylon fabric, and a lot more! It’s important that you know what type of balloons you are getting for a party. Although it’s fun to see the colorful balloons in your event, it won’t be ideal for the well-being of the environment.
The companies are getting conscious of their choices and it’s better if you don’t get the balloons at all. It’s a safer choice, but if you have to choose then go for the latex balloons as these are biodegradable, but still it takes two years for the decomposition. The best thing that you can do for the environment is to not invest in the balloons at all! Or you can use the same balloons over and over again in the family so that you don’t have to buy them again and again.
