Update: Wildlife wins as Florida outlaws balloon releases

We are flying high now that intentionally releasing balloons into the air is illegal in the state of Florida. Environmental and conservation groups are cheering for the new bill, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis this week. Balloons are often released at celebrations or ceremonies of life. But they end up floating back down to the ground, polluting our waterways and putting wildlife at risk. The new law will ban the release of balloons and charge a fine if you’re caught doing it intentionally.

Balloons are often made of plastic, so they break down into smaller pieces once out in the environment, but they never really disappear. The pieces can get lodged in the intestines tract of wildlife when they are mistaken for food, causing digestion issues and sometimes death. This bill aims to scale back the this unnecessary litter.

But that doesn’t mean the party has to stop – here are a few other ideas for making an occasion extra special without the threat of pollution.