Proposed state bill aims to ban intentional balloon releases
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) –Debbie Swick is determined to stop balloon releases, a practice she says causes significant environmental harm. Now, a bill being debated in the North Carolina State Senate could help make her mission a reality.
“Balloons don’t go to heaven…” Swick says.
In 2023, Swick founded Ban Balloon Releases NC after watching a balloon release on television. While she understands the symbolic meaning behind these events, she believes the environmental risks far outweigh the tradition.
Swick explains the environmental dangers of both the balloons and their ribbons, which take hundreds of years to break down. “The ribbon itself takes 150 years to break down; this is, ya know, a gigantic knot of it, and it’s unusual. But the helium, the mialarb alone, takes 100 years to break down and it turns into micro plastics, which ends up in our food sources…“
Her concerns are echoed by water quality experts. Rob Clark, a program manager at Cape Fear River Watch, highlights the environmental threat. “Depending on what type of material they are made out of, they can, once they get into the environment, break up into micro plastics… which can cause issues for aquatic organisms and for humans…“
While Swick isn’t opposed to balloons, she simply wants to stop their release into the air. She urges people to find alternative, more environmentally friendly ways to remember or celebrate loved ones. “Helium balloons are different from regular litter. They’re not considered litter until they actually touch down. It’s the releases we want to eliminate. Instead, people can use bubbles, plant a tree, scatter wildflower seeds — there are so many wonderful, sustainable ways to memorialize or celebrate.“
State Senator Bobby Hanig has proposed a bill to ban the release of helium balloons, and Swick has received positive responses to the proposal.
Locally, Bladen County Commissioners have passed a resolution discouraging the intentional release of helium balloons into the sky.
