If you're like most people, you probably celebrate special occasions with some balloons. They're fun, they're festive, and they make for some great photo opportunities. But what happens to all those balloons when the party's over? Can you recycle latex balloons, or are they just destined to end up in a landfill?
It turns out that the answer is a bit more complicated. Latex balloons are made from natural rubber latex, which is a renewable resource. Once the balloons are inflated, they're also generally only used once before being deflated and discarded.
So, what does that mean for recycling? Unfortunately, most council recycling facilities are not equipped to recycle latex balloons in the UK. That means that if you put them in your recycling bin, they'll likely just end up in the landfill anyway. However, there are some private companies that will recycle latex balloons for you.
We at Castle Balloons have partnered up with Terracycle to recycle all the balloons that we use in our displays. The latex balloons end up being recycled and used to produce the bouncy floors in children's playgrounds. See more here: http://castleballoons.co.uk/pages/recycling-program