STUART, Fla. — Balloons have long been used to celebrate or commemorate life’s biggest moments.
"I think people cope really well after loss with releasing balloons and I think for happy occasions as well," said Stuart resident, Chase Godard.
However, celebratory releases will soon be a thing of the past in Florida. House Bill 321 will ban the intentional release of all balloons, including those that are biodegradable.
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"If you are a lover of Florida's beaches and our oceans and you dislike plastic pollution, today is a really great day," said Hunter Miller, field campaigns manager for Oceana, the nonprofit that lobbied for the bill.
The action has mixed reviews.
"I think environmentally it makes sense, but I think there should be instances where you’re allowed to do it," said Godard.
Stuart resident, Dayne Oldenborg, disagreed, "I think it's a good thing. We got to save them turtles. There's just too much plastic in the ocean in general so to definitely ban those balloons it'd be sweet."
It's something that environmental groups felt was long overdue.
"Oceana and our allies have been working to pass this bill in the state Legislature for the last three years," said Miller. "Balloons are among the most commonly picked up marine debris plastic debris on beach cleanups so it’s something super common for us to find."
Valentina Miele with the Florida Oceanographic Society added, "The problem is that marine life like turtles and even manatees will end up eating these and they can die from these."
The bill takes effect on July 1st. It considers the intentional release of balloons an act of littering with a penalty of $150. Children under the age of six are exempt.
While the Florida Oceanographic Society is happy about the passage, they believe there is more to be done.
"I think this is an amazing step and it's great for sea life, but I think we need to focus on the bigger issue which is plastic in our oceans," said Miele.
Both Oceana and Florida Oceanographic Society stressed there are other eco-friendly alternatives for celebrations or vigils like:
- Bubbles
- Pollinator gardens
- Kite Flying
- Tree planting
