Birthdays and weddings are just two occasions where balloons are seen as essential, but are they recyclable and if so, what should you do with them? Let’s dive into the question – can you recycle balloons?
You can recycle balloons, however facilities are patchy in the UK. Foil balloons are recyclable using the Terracycle scheme. Rubber and latex balloons are not considered recyclable, however they do degrade naturally over time.
Can I Recycle Foil Balloons?
Foil balloons tens to be the helium style balloons that are gifted for celebrating occasions such as birthdays and weddings.
While they’re generally a shiny silver colour, they come in a wide range of shapes, colours and sizes.
You can usually tell that a balloon is made from a foil compound by touch – they are slightly crackly to the touch unlike traditional party balloons.
You can recycle foil balloons by taking them to a Terracycle collection point – we’ve got a page all about Terracycle that you can find here. In addition, some Card Factory stores have collection points available to drop off used foil balloons (only foil balloons, not other types) – and there’s a list of their stores offering the service here.
Can I Recycle Rubber Balloons?
Rubber balloons are not generally considered recyclable, however that’s not strictly speaking true. The materials that these traditional style balloons are made for are, on the whole, possible to be recycled.
However, you’ll find it difficult to find companies recycling balloons because there is very little use for the recycled material, meaning it’s unlikely to be commercially viable.
The good news is that balloons that are made from latex (and only latex) will biodegrade. It’s not ideal that materials go into landfill, but unlike many other materials that ended their life buried in sprawling dump sites, at least these do break down over time.
Are Latex And Rubber Balloons The Same?
While not all balloons described as latex are 100% latex, retailers do have a habit of describing latex and rubber balloons interchangeably, even if they’re not the exact same thing.
The best way to find out what’s been used to make balloons is to check the packaging – as some people have problems with latex, you should find the balloon packaging details what’s gone into the manufacturing process.
Can You Recycle Plastic Balloons?
Plastic balloons aren’t a thing – at least not in the sense of party decorations people inflate. It’s actually an assumption people make about rubber balloons because they have a plastic appearance and are often brightly coloured.
That’s a really good thing because plastic is really tough to dispose of responsibly, so it’s trues to say that latex and rubber is more environmentally friendly than plastic.
However, we phrase that carefully because it clearly overlooks the fact that balloons aren’t really an essential in life. Many environmentalist will argue that balloons are a completely unnecessary use of resources and create pointless waste, and it’s hard to live in a world full of human rubbish and disagree.
When you consider big events like weddings where you’ll often see hundreds or even thousands of balloons floating around a dance floor or forming an arch, it’s easy to see how avoidable they can be.
Can You Re-use Balloons?
We talk a lot about recycling on this website, and often make the point that while recycling is a responsible habit, re-use is better still. As we’ve just said, not using something in the first place is even better, but some people will always want balloons as part of a celebration, so there will always be demand for them.
Balloons can be used by deflating them after use to re-use again in the future. However it can be difficult to release the air or helium from balloons without damaging them.
Some balloons (especially helium filled foil balloons) are supplied on a stick that allows them to be easily deflated, however the sticks are usually plastic which has additional recycling and waste implications too.
A good approach is probably to attempt to deflate them as best you can, and if you’re successful with a few they can be kept for later, and you can at least reduce the number you need in future.
If I Can’t Recycle Rubber Balloons What Should I Do With Them?
In the first instance, check your local council’s website to see it the local tip will accept waste like balloons for recycling. The chances are they won’t, and it’s unlikely to make environmental sense to drive to the tip unless you’re going anyway for other waste.
For balloons that are no longer useful and you’ve not been able to deflate without damage, place them into your general waste bin.
