Hello!

18 Comments

Gold Coast mum on a mission to take the air out of a popular party item.

Carly Wilson, the creator of environmental documentary Rubber Jellyfish, said far too many Australians don’t realise the devastating impact helium balloons can have on our marine life.

The celebration of releasing balloons into the air has long bothered environmentalists, with Ms Wilson revealing that the pieces fall back to earth in the shape of jellyfish – something that can be deadly to seabirds and turtles that eat them.

The first-time filmmaker wants to see an end to the sky-high celebrations, describing industry claims that the latex balloons biodegrade as “baloney”.

“There are people in the balloon industry who are trying to stop the deliberate release of balloons but there are other balloon stores and manufacturers that still recommend people do those balloon release ceremonies,” Ms Wilson told Sunrise.

“It is important to do your research and understand that they do not biodegrade in the ocean.

“I’m eight months pregnant and I want my little girl to experience the beauty of the ocean I came to love,” Ms Wilson told Sunrise.

Do you support her campaign?

Share your comments below

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.
  • I do support her. It’s not just helium balloons that end up in the ocean. A lot if our rubbish isn’t disposed of properly and sadly finds it’s way to the ocean. You can buy bio degradable water balloons. I know because I watched them in my backyard disappear over time.

    Reply

  • Not great to release helium balloons outside.

    Reply

  • I’ve never used helium balloons as I hate that they can blow away, and it’s not just sea life that suffers from the left over rubber. The regular balloons aren’t as much fun, nor do they look as good but kids r happy with anything really

    Reply

  • Actually seen this on TV and she showed just how they deteriorate and end up looking like jellyfish …really scary.

    Reply

  • Why do we assume every balloon released ends up in the sea?Cheer’s Krusty.

    Reply

  • we make sure all of our balloons end up in the garbage and not released into the open air, sadly not all people care


    • We do the same thing – no helium and no releasing balloons and disposed of when rarely used.

    Reply

  • She definitely has a point. Unfortunately I don’t think much will change until a biodegradable version is created and sold by mainstream providers.

    Reply

  • What ever it takes to have a hot coffee and an uninterrupted shower is perfect – well done mumma for trying something different and enjoying your “me” time :)

    Reply

  • We need to look after our precious environment for generations to come.

    Reply

  • That’s a good campaign.
    My kids love helium balloons every now and then, but we release them in our home, not in the open air.

    Reply

  • Never thought releasing balloons was a good idea in the first place. Also don’t think much of the plumes of smoke from fireworks in the atmosphere.

    Reply

  • I’m happy to stop using them for the benefit of the environment. I never released them anyway, they deflated and I threw them in the bin. Not the best but still better then releases them

    Reply

  • They are bad for the environment but kids love them it’s a hard one

    Reply

  • Yes of course balloons are bad for the environment they are latex after all and cannot be recycled.

    Reply

  • They are beautiful to see, but I wonder too about their environmental impact.

    Reply

Post a comment
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your comment and join MoM:

You May Like

Loading…

Looks like this may be blocked by your browser or content filtering.

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join