Be GREEN on Valentine's Day when you say "I love you" with balloons

TRENTON, N.J., Jan. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- What better way to show your affection on Valentine's Day than to present your sweetheart with a shiny, red heart balloon or a balloon bouquet to say, "I love you."

This Valentine's Day, The Balloon Council would like to remind everyone to follow Smart Balloon Practices to ensure that those colorful and heartfelt balloons don't wind up as litter.

"Millions of balloons are sold on Valentine's Day, so this is the perfect time to raise awareness about the best ways to handle and dispose of balloon properly," said Lorna O'Hara, Executive Director of The Balloon Council (TBC), a non-profit organization made up of responsible retailers, distributors, and manufacturers that are dedicated to educating others about the wonders of balloons and the proper handling of them. 

Whether you are giving the balloons or receiving them, be sure to keep these tips from TBC's national Smart Balloon Practices Campaign in mind:

• Do not release any balloons into the air – they can become tangled in power lines and turn into litter.
• Keep balloons secured with a string and tied to a weight.
• Children with balloons should always be monitored. Children under eight (8) years of age can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons.
• When finished with balloons, pop them and properly dispose of them.
• Despite the funny voice helium can give you, it should never be inhaled.

"Even though red is the primary color for Valentine's Day we hope people will think 'green' when using balloons to celebrate," said O'Hara.  "Balloons are recyclable and biodegradable, but we all need to do our part and be mindful of these smart practices to ensure that balloons are a part of our celebrations for years to come. Just follow our motto, Don't let go: Inflate. Weight. Enjoy."

The Balloon Council encourages the public to share their balloon filled celebration photos by posting on Facebook www.facebook.com/balloonsliftup, and Instagram www.instagram.com/balloonsliftup, using the hashtag #BeBalloonSmart.

For more information about Smart Balloon Practices visit https://balloonsliftup.com, email [email protected],  or call The Balloon Council at (800) 233-8887.

SOURCE The Balloon Council