The penalty for mass balloon release should be the same as for fly tipping

[Serencwtch]

Yet another mass balloon release local to us.
This time dozens of blue metallic balloons with plastic ribbon.
We are farmers & spent yesterday morning trying to save a calf who was found with the metallic plastic in her mouth. She choked to death slowly & painfully. We have likely lost dozens of unborn lambs as the ewes were running terrified all night by the shiny metallic litter in their field.
We are in a area of outstanding national beauty & the wildlife there won't have a farmer to save them from suffering.
It gets caught up in our crop fields, damages machinery & contaminates food crops.
Theres balloons stuck in trees from a release 2 years ago - this rubbish does not break down.

YABU - if you lose a loved one you have the right to litter the countryside, cause suffering to animals & damage farmers livelihoods

YANBU - It's the same if not worse than any other rubbish dumping & should be prosecuted

Where do people get bulk quantities of balloons from? Or the helium to fill them?

I didn't know people still did this. Shocking.

Some legislation against selling large numbers of helium filled balloons sound help. It’s obviously harder to stop the smaller numbers used at birthday party’s etc that might still end up escaping but it’s surely pretty obvious what the intention is for big numbers with matching tags.

Agreed and if you start and share a petition will gladly sign. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.

I used to have a job where I routinely dealt with grieving people wanting a memorial, some who had lost loved ones in really tragic circumstances. Some we could help, others we couldn't and then I would suggest alternatives in the most empathetic way possible with clear explanations as to why. Saying no to grieving families isn't easy but most understood and often we ended up with solutions that worked for the charity and for them and that always felt so satisfying.
Needless to say balloons, Chinese lanterns, plastic flowers, anything that interfered with wildlife, landscapes or other people's usage was a no.

A few years back I came across a family (three children all primary school age at a guess) while out on a walk along the coast on a nice summer evening who had put dozens of small balloons that were partially filled with water into the sea and were bopping on the water surface. The woman was taking pictures of them heading out to sea against the setting sun. When I asked them if there wasn't enough plastic crap in the water to choke wildlife already I got screamed and sweared at by both supposed adults. Inconsiderate careless idiots.

I'm hoping the 1% who voted YABU did so in error . . .. So sorry about your calf @Serencwtch. Interestingly, after the '86 disaster you'd think there would be changes in laws etc around releasing balloons (I know it was in US but still):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balloonfest_%2786

Could a few farmers get together and do some school visits to talk about the impact of littering on the countryside in general and balloon releases particularly.

If the parents are too stupid and selfish to realise the damage they cause, the kids might do better.

Why?
I have lost a baby and I assure you that killing animals with my stupidity would not have improved the situation

I contacted my cabinet member local MP to exptess distate at this. He said was local council area not his. Not shocked at that reply, every time i have emailed him its either been ignored or passed off. Its horrendous and kills animals and leaves litter. Should be banned and fines for anyone who does it!!!

Which is why it would be better if it were banned, and helium and balloons not allowed to be sold.

Because then the decision would be made for everyone and the bereaved could consider petals, bubbles, lighting candles, flying kites, planting seeds or whatever.

Would you join in if they wanted to drive along the road and throw litter out of the window? It amounts to the same thing.

But if your child dies it does not mean you then have the right to scatter litter all over the countryside! There are plenty of ways to remember a loved one that don't include dropping litter everywhere.

Mourners released 1000 blue and white balloons near my house last week. It’s a poplar spot to do them and I’m sick of it

100% agree, and I can't believe it's still allowed. Dreadful things. Balloons need banning full stop.

I think I agree with pretty much everyone here. It shouldn't happen, but finger wagging at bereaved families (especially when a child has died) isn't right either. If they're not already aware of the environmental impact before their child dies then I don't think it's a great time to step in and try to educate. Therefore the sensible thing to do is prevent those families from acquiring the materials to do such releases and encouraging funeral companies to promote lots of different environmentally friendly options.

It’s not hard at all. If some has lost their baby there are million other ways they can be remember if you must go for performative grieving.

In my area it tends to be the not very bright and the deceased is general some lad with a criminal record who died after a Police chase in a stolen car. I think that indicates that it’s generally the lowest common denominator that do this.

Make it illegal and stop the idiots buying mass helium balloons.

Exactly, that's why legislation is needed. Then it's not a case of having to lecture people who have suffered a tragedy, or call into question their personal environmental ethics; it's a straightforward 'sorry, it's not legal to do that'

And yet it's still going on so clearly we haven't talked, or posted about it enough yet have we.

These are the current restrictions -

Local Council Bans: Over 100 local authorities in the UK have banned balloon and sky lantern releases on council-owned land.
Common Bans: Many councils (e.g., Plymouth, Cornwall, Birmingham, Sunderland) explicitly forbid releasing balloons from public spaces, parks, and at council-supported events.
Classification as Litter: Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, releasing balloons can be considered a littering offense, which can lead to fines.

Not enough though. A nationwide ban on all balloon releases please, now.

Wow this is the most unanimous vote I’ve ever seen.

Of course YANBU. People managed to grieve and celebrate just fine before baboon releases became popular on social media. Should be prohibited already.

Shockingly, you can go online and find businesses that sell 1000 balloons and hire helium plus tickets for balloon races in the UK for under £500. In a few clicks. These businesses shouldn't exist.

@WincyWincea Baboon release is much more environmentally friendly than a balloon release - has that caught on in your area? They’re not known for their airborne capabilities which could spoil it ;)

Christ. That’s horrific. I’m so sorry

your not wrong. There’s a boat company on the Thames that advertises they do them. They also do wildlife tours on the river.

cannot work out how the two marry up

I’ve emailed them and got no response

It’s like these people that think it’s ok think their grief trumps all that

Horses died near us too. I do not know why this trend has started it is a stupid idea i think it should be banned

Does anyone remember one of the poor children that died amid all the court cases about turning off hospital support for them?
they had a couple of balloon releases and the level of abuse anyone got who suggested it wasn’t a good idea.
it was like they felt it trumped everything.