eco

What makes us different?

We were one of the early members of PEBA (the Pro-environment Balloon Alliance) in the United Kingdom. This means we do not knowingly facilitate the release of balloons, we use better practices in the development and design of our balloon décor and arrangements, and educate our customers in the best way to enjoy balloons responsibly. We have values and principles that are often (regrettably) not shared by all balloon retailers, such as discount stores and multiple retailers. That's another reason why we are proud to be an Independent retailer and are not prepared to have a balloon business without care for the cost to the environment. That makes us different and better for it.

Read below to see how you can recycle any balloon purchased from us and any weight you have purchased from us!

We don't use scarce Helium to inflate balloons

We don't inflate your balloons with the helium that's needed for purposes such as cooling MRI Scanners; they use liquid helium. Nor do we use helium that's often used for welding, satellite instruments or lasers. We use Balloon Gas - that's very different. It may have been used for purposes such as cooling medical equipment, but it has since been recovered and no longer has a medical, scientific or industrial use. It's not pure helium gas, it's a mixture of helium, oxygen, nitrogen - lots of things, but it's quite safe be around (just don't breathe it in - humans are designed to breathe oxygen, not helium!). If it were not used for balloons, it would likely be wasted by safely releasing it into the atmosphere without further use.

In addition to this, if you are still concerned about purchasing balloons that are inflated with Balloon Gas, we have a great range of air filled designs that still look fabulous but require no Balloon Gas at all. We are introducing new air-filled arrangements all the time, so please ask us about them if you are interested. These include arrangements that are elegant table-top designs to those that use hidden re-usable frames - they look like they float, but they use air.

Recycle your balloons and weights - yes, you can! :)

Latex balloons

Put them in your compost bin! They will degrade at about the same rate as an oak leaf.

Foil balloons

If you have purchased a foil balloon from us, you can return it to us. We don't accept balloons purchased elsewhere (please speak to them about their eco-credentials and recycling policies!) but those returned to us will be repurposed. We heat treat them to change their composition and use them in in-store decor - many times over! We can also reshape them to make pretty weight covers than can be used many times. We do not re-inflate or sell them again.

Bubble balloons

If you have purchased a bubble balloon from us, you can return it to us. We don't accept balloons purchased elsewhere (please speak to them about their eco-credentials and recycling policies!). We have a contract that accepts this type of plastic for recycling.

Weights

Sometimes we use sand weights - that's a latex balloon with sand in it. With these, release the sand and compose the balloon.

Where you have a traditional balloon weight (sometimes called a "fluffy weight") that has a "fluffy" foil top (and where you bought it from us) why not return it to us? If you don't want to keep it hanging about at home, you can return it to us (if you purchased the weight from us and it has our markings on it). From 2nd September 2019 we introduced a scheme where any "fluffy weight" weight purchased from us (with a balloon) can be returned to us if it is in good condition. We will then repurpose or recycle them. We use foil balloons returned to us to create new weights using the insides of returned weights. We can also use the insides of returned weights in air-filled designs to weight them.

If you purchase a balloon from us with a small, plastic weight, you can return this to us too. If they're in good condition, we carefully fully clean and sanitise them and reuse them.

Balloon Ribbon

Remove any ribbon from your balloons before composting or returning them to us. Consider using them for wrapping a present - that's an additional lease of life for them! Otherwise, please dispose of them within your household waste. We can offer biodegradable twine in place of ribbon or rafia in some balloon bouquets and decorations.

Why don't we recycle balloons and weights purchased online or from other shops?

Because we are an independent retailer who cares about the minimising any impact our balloons and decor could have on the environment, but we cannot afford to compensate the discount retailers who don't care. If you choose to purchase your balloons and weights elsewhere, please remember to ask them how they work to minimise any impact on the environment they have - this will encourage them to behave more responsibily, as we are setting standards for them to do so.

Our latex balloons are not plastic - no matter how many times you read otherwise

This is one of the most common myths. "Look at all that wasted plastic" - but latex balloons are not plastic.

A single rubber tree, in its lifetime, counteracts the carbon emissions from a car being driven 36,000km - PEBA.

The latex balloons we use are are made from 100% natural latex. They are biodegradable and they decompose about as fast as an oak leaf. Latex balloons come from rubber trees. Latex is collected by cutting the tree’s bark, then catching the latex in a cup. Latex harvesting doesn’t hurt the tree. Rubber trees grow in rain forests. Latex harvesting discourages deforestation because latex-producing trees are left intact. A tree can produce latex for up to 40 years! So, growing rubber trees is good for the environment.

We never knowingly support balloon releases - whether it is one balloon or many

This is a difficult situation for us as we appreciate mourning a loved one is such a difficult time. We are often asked to provide a balloon that can be released in memory of a loved one and to help with the grieving process. It is so hard for us to say no - we don't want to make things difficult - but we do not facilitate this. Whilst we can supply a balloon that is biodegradable and attach biodegradable twine - that doesn't make it safe or good for the environment. It is against our code of practice to support the release of any balloon for any purpose. If a latex balloon was released and travelled into the sky without becoming trapped in a hedgerow or tree, or falling into water, it would likely shatter into pieces that when they fall to earth are usually small enough to pass through an animal (if ingested) without any harm. Further, they would biodegrade at approximately the same rate as an oak leaf. But that's all in "ideal" situations and so the best and most responsible course of action is simply not to release balloons. As an alternative, we suggest sprinkling some natural flower petals into a stream or maybe plant a tree in memory. Littering is not something that you really want a loved one to be remembered by.