Farewell to Mylar
Categories: Fun & activities, In the news, Kid decor & style, Birthdays
Shaped like trains, numbers, and stars and filled with helium, Mylar balloons have become a colorful staple at birthday parties in recent years. Unlike traditional latex balloons, Mylar balloons can last for several weeks before deflating. Latex balloons sink and shrivel up within a day of being inflated, generally. So it's understandable why they have become such a large part of the celebration industry.Unfortunately, there is a downside to Mylar balloons too. If released, the electrically conductive inflatables can -- and do, on a regular basis, apparently -- short out power lines, causing outages and costing businesses as much as $120 million in California alone last year. And so it is that Senate Bill 1499 is making its way through various committees on its way to becoming law. If it is passed, the bill would ban the sale of helium-filled Mylar balloons.
The Save the Balloons coalition has been formed to try and save the businesses and jobs that would be affected if the bill passes. While I do like getting the kids a decorative Mylar balloon for their birthday, I also don't like it at all when the power goes out. I suppose the best solution would be for manufacturers to come up with an alternative material that will last as long as Mylar, can be made into an equal array of shapes and, most importantly, is non-conductive.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jenni 7-08-2008 @ 1:18PM
I've been following this story for a long time now. The number of outages that occur a year and the length of the outages is so minimal. I don't know the real thought behind this ban, but I strongly suspect it isn't the power outage. My thought is that it is actually something to do with environmental issues...can't be releasing any balloons!
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Itsie 7-11-2008 @ 9:12PM
No, by using Latex, they will make more money. Money's always the bottom line.
Jenni 7-12-2008 @ 5:43PM
Considering that every balloon seller I have talked to is completely opposed to this bill AND they claim they will be losing thousands if not millions of dollars (depending on the size of their business) by not selling mylar balloon; I think you may need to reconsider your opinion
v 7-08-2008 @ 1:21PM
When we were in Disneyland a year ago, we bought one of those big, clear balloons with the latex mickey mouse inside. I don't know what that thing was made of, but it lasted for a very long time. The outside was like a tough, clear plastic. Perhaps something like that is a good alternative to mylar, but lasts longer and is more durable than latex...
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angela 7-12-2008 @ 12:36AM
it was the same type of latex that they make condoms out of. and yeah they will last for a long time..
Barbara 7-12-2008 @ 2:49PM
The plastic is called mylar ...mylar is plastic...if you put a mylar balloon in water the print comes off and you are left with plastic mylar...what you saw at Disneyland is what a mylar balloon looks like before they put the print (which is the foil).
The thing is ..is that we went through this in the 90's already and there is a law in California that ALL mylar balloons are to be weighted and sold that way...Once the public buys the balloon and if they take the weight off that's where the problem is...Not to take off the weight.. Now in Southern California there was an interview on the John & Ken show with the GM from Edison Power and he said that there were a total of 4 mylars last year that were tangled in the lines... 2 put out the power for a matter of a total of 1 hour... Now is that enough to put more people out of work and business? Mylar balloon generate 80 million dollars in sales tax for California ...I guess California doesn't need that money...
And yes I am one of those people that this will effect my income because that is my business...
So the more we educate the public and when they see a balloon not weighted they need to say something... Like I did in th Dollar Stores... they leave it up to the public to weight their balloons and you know the public isn't going to do that.. So please let's not let any more jobs be lost in California and makes sure the balloon you buy is weighted...
Just one more thing ...I see more plastic bags on the side of the road and floating in the road then mylars balloons...
Thank you
Barbara Fremont Ca.
Baron 7-08-2008 @ 10:16PM
Like Jenni said, there are probably some other issues associated with this material. Maybe it takes a much longer time to break down or animals that eat it are more likely to get sick? I do know that after the prom (about 10 years ago for me), some of the folks let them go and they floated right into the power lines. POP, all the power was out for that side of town. Probably only lasted a few hours though.
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Boby 7-09-2008 @ 8:01AM
I'm gonna miss the thanksgiving day parades
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rubu 7-11-2008 @ 8:09PM
WHAT NOT JUST TACK THE BILL TO THE BIRTHDAY BOY OR GIRL FOR OUTAGE COSTS. THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO GIVE THE LITTLE PEOPLE RESPONSIBILITY AND EARLY DEPT EXPERIENCE.
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cindy 7-11-2008 @ 9:34PM
you are an idiot
Val 7-11-2008 @ 8:19PM
With all the problems in the US, we have to have a bill passed by Congress to ban Mylar Balloons. Give me a break.
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Jim 7-11-2008 @ 8:48PM
If damage from mylar balloons is $120 million in California alone, a number which might be an estimate, then it can be deduced that nationwide the cost falls somewhere between 1/2 to 1 BILLION dollars a year! Banning them is a small price to pay when matched against the loss to businesses and the power companies when the power goes out. Top that with the environmental cost and banning mylar balloons seems to be a very reasoned responce. Parties survived for decades without them. They will again.
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Itsie 7-11-2008 @ 9:15PM
Here, we have a problem with the birds flying into transformers. Are you going to be for a bill that says the birds can't fly within a certain distance of the poles, too?
SMDH!
nursey 7-12-2008 @ 1:11AM
1/2 to 1 billion dollars business loss is a tax write off so there's no real loss there. The ,most damaging loss is the pure joy a kid has when playing with a ballooon. Maybe you should have done it as a kid then you wouldn't be so miserable.
Vic 7-12-2008 @ 4:29AM
Come on - read the reports or check the power company outage reports - this is just another way wor government to control our lives - STOP the madness and stop the regulations - I ask you - HOW MANY outages in 2007 were caused by balloons??? NONE
Jim 7-12-2008 @ 11:01AM
Yes, I agree, businesses and the power companies get a hefty tax write off for their losses. But what does that really mean? IT MEANS WE PAY TWICE!!! Once for the costs incurred by the initial loss that get past on to the consumer, and then AGAIN in our taxes to make up for the amounts written off by the same businesses and power companies!!! It ain't rocket science folks! And yes, I had plenty of latex balloons as a child in the late 50's which was before mylar and I wasn't miserable then or now!
Wynds 7-11-2008 @ 8:50PM
Sponge Bob ; will you be my friend For_Ever
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Todd 7-11-2008 @ 8:58PM
PG&E's own research shows that less than .1 percent of outages in California are due to mylar balloons. About 7 percent are due to birds and other animals on the power lines. Perhaps the real question should be, why are the power companies permitted to keep using technology that is so outmoded and unprotected that a lousy balloon can short out an entire neighborhood? How stupid.
On another tack, there are several million Americans who are allergic to latex, and mylar balloons are their only other choice for parties and gifts.
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Beth 7-11-2008 @ 9:50PM
My daughter received a mylar balloon on her 6th birthday. Somehow it blew up into the tree in front of our house. It has been there for 2 1/2 years. Mylar, just as latex if set free, end up in the ocean, lakes, etc. Whether it's rubber or mylar, they should be disposed of properly - or better yet, skip the balloons!
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Jennifer 7-11-2008 @ 9:59PM
I have a Mylar balloon from when I was about one or two, and it's still in /perfect/ condition. You'd think I got it yesterday, and I'm twenty now. If the government wants it, they'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands.
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