Balloon company won’t sell me a balloon to release

[Gonewiththegin]

Just as the title suggests. I regularly use the same balloon company and had asked them to do a memorial balloon. They replied they do not sell balloons to be released. AIBU to think they have no say what I do with said balloon once I’ve paid £30 to have it made.

@Gonewiththegin

Not a goading post at all, I genuinely had no idea why they refused 😳 I shamefully hadn’t thought about it thoroughly. Thanks for enlightening me.

Any ideas of anything else we could do? It was for my little one to send up to heaven for their relative and they will be terribly disappointed due to my ignorance.

Plant a tree.

Plant a bush/shrub.

Buy yourself a lovely scented candle. These candles are gorgeous: www.otiumcandles.com

@LH1987

Maybe you could release a biodegradable Chinese lantern. Although maybe I’m ignorant that’s also bad for the environment.

Sorry for your loss.

Please don't do this, lanterns are also awful for wildlife and livestock, they can cause fires, burn animals if they land on them. The ones with metal cause problems if they land in hay fields as the metal gets chopped up by machinery and mixed into the hay leading to animals stomachs getting punctured when they eat it.

How about buying some special bubbles? Or planting something?

God no Chinese lanterns. They are also horrific and dangerous environmentally.

Idk if it’s been mentioned but I saw something about plantable seed paper you can write a note on and plant, I like that

Explain to your little one why you have changed your mind about the balloon, they will understand, little children usually hate the idea of anything that could hurt an animal. There’s nothing wrong with you saying that you didn’t know originally, but now you have learned that balloons can be harmful so it won’t be happening. Then you can let your child choose something from one of the other lovely suggestions that people have made.

I'm pleased you can see why balloon releases are so bad.
If you want to do something in memorial, why don't you think about planting a memorial tree. There are a few memorial woods dotted about. What was your loved one's interest - if animals you could sponsor an animal through WWF in their name, if children you could sponsor a child in a deprived country?

@iklboo

Some other ideas:

Blow bubbles
Scatter wild flower seeds / seed bomb
Plant a tree, rose bush, plant or flower
Throw a flower into a river

Perfect! Rose bush is a great idea. I have 3 of them in remeberance of 3 family members gone. Love to see them bloom every year. It will be a much nicer way of remembering your relative and you can explain to dc that they can help look after it, feed it and prune it all the while thinking of their relative.

I'd step away from the thread now op you're going to get heaps of posts now from people who couldn't be arsed to read the thread continue to be deeply unpleasant.

Glad you have found other ways to say goodbye, op. Sorry for your loss.

If you want to release something up to heaven, a kiss is a good idea as pp said, or how about blowing out a dandelion or something similar

@Gonewiththegin

Thank you all for the suggestions. A star is a lovely idea, I think we will do that instead.

The thread didn’t go the way I expect you are right. I am glad I posted as I now know it’s very harmful. Otherwise I would have found another company and went ahead with the release.

So lovely to see an OP open to being told YABU and accepting other suggestions. I’m part of a baby loss community and have seen petal releases instead, blowing bubbles or writing in the sand for our little ones.

Thanks OP really glad you’ve understood why a balloon release is so harmful.

I think wild flowers is a lovely idea.

@caughtinanet not really, I live in the city- always have. I was trying to think of a nice way for my little one to send a message to heaven and shamefully didn’t think of the consequences on the environment or wildlife.

@LH1987

Maybe you could release a biodegradable Chinese lantern. Although maybe I’m ignorant that’s also bad for the environment.

Sorry for your loss.

They're just as bad, as they're a fire risk

Releasing balloons is the epitome of human selfishness.
Oh I’m sad because someone died, let’s release loads of plastic into the sky, who cares if animals die, fuck the environment too. I don’t understand the logic??
Don’t get me started on fucking Chinese lanterns.
Can’t you light a candle or plant a tree or anything that’s positive not just destructive.

You really didn’t know????

Don’t do a Chinese lantern, that’s probably worse than a balloon! With my children we’ve done petals in the river, flying a kite on the beach, blowing bubbles to the sky (might not work aswell with older kids), donated a tree with the national trust. I realise it sounds a lot but it’s just once or twice a year for their sibling. I’ve also seen others to random acts of kindness (leaving little bags of sweets or similar around the village with a note on). Hope you manage to find something suitable OP.

There has been a ragged helium balloon caught in my next door neighbours tree for two years now. It will probably be there for another decade.

@BobbidyBob so sorry for your loss. My little one will love the bubbles idea.

Thank you to all for the wonderful suggestions.

I am sorry for your loss. And glad you've changed your mind. I hope some of these other suggestions help. I think seeds is a nice idea.

Don't be tempted to use a "biodegradable" balloon. They only degrade in certain conditions, floating in the sea is not one of them! They also take months to biodegrade so plenty of time for an animal to eat them :(

Well done on reassessing OP. Some more ideas here: balloonsblow.org/environmentally-friendly-alternatives/

Yes, we have one wrapped around the lightening conductor of the church.

If you want to do something for children then blowing bubbles, is quite a nice idea. A wish and a kiss in every bubble.
(Someone might have said this already)

This is going to turn into another of those threads where people need to at least read the OP's updates before posting. She has acknowledged it balloon release was ill thought out and is doing something else instead

It would be good if MNHQ could update the OP or something so that people don't keep ragging on the OP, who has taken on board the advice that she's been given already.