Legislation that would ban the public release of balloons has been introduced in the Connecticut House of Representatives (HB5454). It’s not the first time that this legislation has been there — it was voted on by the House in 2019 and passed overwhelmingly with a vote of 123-12, but it went on to die in the Senate.
The bill’s author (then and now), Irene Haines, a Republican from East Haddam, was quoted at the time:
“The current law on the books says due to the harmful effects of these balloons when they fall back down to our lands and waterways, we should not intentionally release ten or more,” she said in a prepared statement.
“If ten or more are harmful, isn’t the intentional release of one to ten equally as harmful? Let’s be responsible with our litter and properly dispose of these balloons and nylon strings.”
Setting aside her dubious use of the word “equally,” her larger point is true. Balloon releases, no matter the number, are bad for the environment and they should be banned.
This issue is a little personal for me. I am a magician and a balloon artist. Up until very recently I performed professionally under the name Matt The Balloon Man. A few months ago I made the decision to rebrand myself as Matt Matthews Magic and begin moving away from balloons as the centerpiece of my own business.
I want to be clear, though: balloons aren’t all bad. As I wrote on my blog when I made the announcement of my business’s change toward more sustainability:
I also don't think balloons, by themselves, are bad. Contrary to what some think, balloons are not a single use plastic like straws. Balloons are rubber, made from the sap of tree, and they are 100% biodegradable.
Nevertheless, there have been legislative pushes around the country that target balloons. In California, some fairly aggressive local governments are pushing for bans on ALL helium filled balloons. I personally think this goes too far. But I do explicitly endorse and call for a ban on intentionally releasing balloons in to the environment.
I think it’s important for those of us that oppose extreme measures — like some of the balloon bans California is pushing — to be equally vocal in supporting GOOD legislation when it comes to regulating balloons, and that’s what I’m doing here.
That’s why I am standing with Representative Haines, and I have asked my state Senator and Representative to support this bill and move it through in a timely manner. (I also just want to add how refreshing it is to contact my Democratic Representative and my Republican Senator about a bill that I know has bipartisan consensus — usually I’m the type that’s contacting my Republican Senator asking him to support something that I expect he will actively resist instead.)
Connecticut residents can always easily lookup their state Representatives and Senators, and I encourage everyone to please do so to support this bill.