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Are biodegradable alternatives to latex available? e.g. Could you make balloons out of something like polyvinyl alcohol (think dishwasher pods) so that they di

Are biodegradable alternatives to latex available? e.g. Could you make balloons out of something like polyvinyl alcohol (think dishwasher pods) so that they dissolve in the rain?

dTal 7y ago
Interesting idea. I would expect such balloons to pop far more readily, especially in a party environment or with human handling. But for an outdoor balloon release it could be just the ticket.
- jnty 7y ago
  'Biodegradable plastic' is great I'm sure but it promotes bizarre thinking like this. How about we just decide not to have mass-pollution parties for no reason, rather than trying to reduce their impact with expensive new materials?
  - dTal 7y ago
    Of course in the long run you're right, but where traditions are involved, sometimes it can ease the transition. "No balloons" is a much harder sell than "expensive biodegradable balloons", for someone who feels it's an essential thing. Eventually price pressure will cause the tradition to phase out organically, with people feeling like they have a choice, rather than the resentment caused by "no more balloon release parties, starting next week!"
    - mgkimsal 7y ago
      price pressure like a fine or a hefty surcharge at the point of sale would help too, no?
    - jnty 7y ago
      Is this really that much of a thing? Presumably we're mostly dealing with groups - probably mostly charities. Is it really so hard to create public consciousness that releasing a tonne of baloons into the air for no reason is littering that putting loads of effort into designing and promoting alternatives is worth it?
  - Andrex 7y ago
    Because changing human behavior on a large enough scale is often orders more difficult than finding a technological alternative.
chrisseaton 7y ago
> Are biodegradable alternatives to latex available? Latex does biodegrade - the article says this. Not as fast as would be ideal for balloons, and of course the balloons should just not be released. But latex is a natural organic product - it does biodegrade.
majos 7y ago
Weren't the original balloons animal bladders, which seem gross but certainly biodegradable?
- dredmorbius 7y ago
  Yes. Though think bigger. https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/airlines/a16637939/british-airship-r101-engineering/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/airlines/a16637939/b...
- benj111 7y ago
  Why is it gross? Sausage skins are still commonly made out of pig guts. The vegetables you eat are probably covered in insect poo, even more so for the expensive organic stuff. Those leather shoes on your feet are the skins of dead animals. Even plastic is made out of dead rotted dinosaur.
  - sohkamyung 7y ago
    > Even plastic is made out of dead rotted dinosaur. Not true. Oil (from which most plastic is derived) is formed by bacteria [1]. [1] https://www.thoughtco.com/does-oil-come-from-dinosaurs-1092003 https://www.thoughtco.com/does-oil-come-from-dinosaurs-10920...

Are biodegradable alternatives to latex available? e.g. Could you make balloons out of something like polyvinyl alcohol (think dishwasher pods) so that they dissolve in the rain?

dTal 7y ago

Interesting idea. I would expect such balloons to pop far more readily, especially in a party environment or with human handling. But for an outdoor balloon release it could be just the ticket.

jnty 7y ago
'Biodegradable plastic' is great I'm sure but it promotes bizarre thinking like this. How about we just decide not to have mass-pollution parties for no reason, rather than trying to reduce their impact with expensive new materials?
- dTal 7y ago
  Of course in the long run you're right, but where traditions are involved, sometimes it can ease the transition. "No balloons" is a much harder sell than "expensive biodegradable balloons", for someone who feels it's an essential thing. Eventually price pressure will cause the tradition to phase out organically, with people feeling like they have a choice, rather than the resentment caused by "no more balloon release parties, starting next week!"
  - mgkimsal 7y ago
    price pressure like a fine or a hefty surcharge at the point of sale would help too, no?
  - jnty 7y ago
    Is this really that much of a thing? Presumably we're mostly dealing with groups - probably mostly charities. Is it really so hard to create public consciousness that releasing a tonne of baloons into the air for no reason is littering that putting loads of effort into designing and promoting alternatives is worth it?
- Andrex 7y ago
  Because changing human behavior on a large enough scale is often orders more difficult than finding a technological alternative.

chrisseaton 7y ago

> Are biodegradable alternatives to latex available? Latex does biodegrade - the article says this. Not as fast as would be ideal for balloons, and of course the balloons should just not be released. But latex is a natural organic product - it does biodegrade.

majos 7y ago

Weren't the original balloons animal bladders, which seem gross but certainly biodegradable?

dredmorbius 7y ago
Yes. Though think bigger. https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/airlines/a16637939/british-airship-r101-engineering/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/airlines/a16637939/b...
benj111 7y ago
Why is it gross? Sausage skins are still commonly made out of pig guts. The vegetables you eat are probably covered in insect poo, even more so for the expensive organic stuff. Those leather shoes on your feet are the skins of dead animals. Even plastic is made out of dead rotted dinosaur.
- sohkamyung 7y ago
  > Even plastic is made out of dead rotted dinosaur. Not true. Oil (from which most plastic is derived) is formed by bacteria [1]. [1] https://www.thoughtco.com/does-oil-come-from-dinosaurs-1092003 https://www.thoughtco.com/does-oil-come-from-dinosaurs-10920...