They are made of non-biodegradable materials, can fly long distances and can cause numerous environmental problems. These are none other than ordinary helium balloons. As the start of the new school year on September 1 is getting closer, the Ministry of the Environment urges school administrations not to encourage launches of helium balloons during first-day-of-school festivities.

According to studies cited by the Ministry, a balloon can float in the air for 8-10 hours if it is made of latex and up to several weeks if it is made of foil. When they pop or deflate naturally, their remains may fall into forests, rivers, lakes or seas. After reaching the environment, balloons turn into waste that can kill birds and animals, which perceive them as food, or they can become traps in which they get entangled, often leading to suffocation.

As for the helium used to inflate these balloons, it is not toxic. Released into the atmosphere, it has no negative effect on the environment. However, helium is a non-renewable resource and cannot be created synthetically, so intensive use for recreational activities could lead to its depletion and create a scarcity in other industries where it is more needed, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Environment.

Moldova has no legislation prohibiting the launch of helium balloons, therefore the environmental authorities can only make recommendations to the education authorities, local authorities and schools.