SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Conservancy is advocating for a ban on balloons in the town, saying that they have a detrimental effect on the environment and on animals that may ingest them.
In a post on the Conservancy’s website, President Toni Bandrowicz acknowledged that balloons are a bright and fun way of celebrating happy events, but asked residents to consider the negative impacts as well as the positive.
“To protect nature in our neighborhood, perhaps it’s time for Swampscott to consider such a by-law — or at least a policy that bans balloons at town-sponsored events, on town-owned properties, or for any events requiring town approval,” Bandrowicz said. “The town should promote the use of non-disposable, reusable decorations for such events, not balloons and other single-use plastic decorations.”
A handful of communities in Massachusetts have already enacted similar rules, including Chatham, Everett, Nantucket and Provincetown. In 2019, State Representative Sarah Peake of Provincetown introduced a bill that would ban “the sale, distribution and release of any type of balloon, including, but not limited to, plastic, latex or mylar, filled with any type of lighter than air gas, both for public or private use.” The rule would carry a fine of up to $100.
Earlier this month, Rhode Island passed a law prohibiting the mass release of balloons, but did not go as far as banning them altogether.
Unsurprisingly, not everyone in Swampscott is on board with the idea. Carolina Velasquez, owner of event decor company Fairytale Moments, said that she has always been against the release of balloons, and she has recently started a balloon weight recycling program so that she can provide as many customers as possible with weights to hold their balloons in place. However, she said that when balloons are enjoyed and disposed of properly, they are safe.
“The reality is that there are so many other items in the world causing far more pollution and litter, most of it being plastic waste. Banning balloons is not a solution to the problem at hand,” Velasquez said. “It would also cause grave hardship to small businesses, after a worldwide pandemic already devastated many of those same small businesses. Promoting safe use and disposal are far more effective.”
Bandrowicz disagreed, encouraging residents to consider using other colorful decorations instead of balloons to protect local wildlife, suggesting reusable banners and bunting, flags, ribbon or pinwheels as alternatives.
“Animals that swallow balloons are usually killed from the balloon blocking their digestive tract, leaving them to slowly starve to death,” she said. “Latex balloons eventually biodegrade, but it takes up to four years to do so, and a lot of damage can be done before they do.”
Swampscott’s Conservation Commission will discuss the use of balloons on town conservation land at its meeting this Thursday.
