Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Make releasing helium balloons and sky lanterns a specific littering offence
Closed
123 signatures
What the petition asks
These items are mostly non-biodegradable & have been responsible for the deaths of many animals, both wild & domestic, either from ingestion or injuries caused through panic, as well as littering the countryside. Releasing them should be a specific littering offence.
I was riding & found a large metallic pink deflated helium balloon stuck on the gate onto the bridleway which stopped my horse in her tracks. I jumped off, led her towards it, untangled it, rolled it up & put it under a stone to be disposed of when I got back praying all the time that it would not blow off as the wind blowing towards so it would have come straight at us, potentially causing my horse to panic & hurt or even kill herself and/or me.
People can be fined for littering if they throw away an apple core. How can it be legal for these things be released to pollute the countryside?
People can be fined for littering if they throw away an apple core. How can it be legal for these things be released to pollute the countryside?
Timeline
| 15 Mar 2022 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 29 Sep 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
123
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
15 Mar 2022
Closed
29 Sep 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.