Birthdays, weddings or baby showers — we’ve all seen balloons adding colour and cheer to every celebration. They float, they pop, they make us smile. But there’s a side to balloons that rarely gets talked about. Behind their vibrant colours lies a truth we often overlook: balloons are one of the most harmful single-use plastics, wreaking silent havoc on our environment and wildlife.

In a podcast hosted by Rashmi Ramesh, Sonika Bhasin, a sustainability advocate, breaks it down simply and powerfully: once a balloon is released or burst, “it doesn’t just disappear.”

What happens after the pop?

Whether released into the sky or popped and tossed into the bin, most balloons eventually make their way into natural ecosystems. Latex balloons, though marketed as ‘biodegradable’, can take years to break down, long enough to choke, entangle or poison animals.

Mylar (foil) balloons, on the other hand, don’t decompose at all. Made with metallic materials that can cause power outages if they get entangled with electrical lines.