{"id":20766,"date":"2026-08-23T07:38:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T07:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=20766"},"modified":"2026-08-23T07:38:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T07:38:01","slug":"blowing-in-the-wind-humble-balloon-gets-green-makeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=20766","title":{"rendered":"Blowing in the wind, humble balloon gets green makeover"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<p>A global symbol of parties and celebrations but an environmental headache, the humble balloon is undergoing a green revolution thanks to UK researchers.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers at Imperial College London say they have developed the first fully biodegradable balloon and hope to bring it to market within two years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo\u00a0there\u00a0was\u00a0hundreds\u00a0of\u00a0trials.\u00a0We\u00a0had\u00a0many,\u00a0many\u00a0failures,\u201d said Juliana Cumming, a PhD student at the university and co-creator of the \u201cBioloon\u201d, a 100-percent biodegradable balloon.<\/p>\n<p>In a university laboratory, the 29-year-old proudly showed AFP a flask containing a precious yellow liquid.<\/p>\n<p>Once solidified, it becomes a soft, elastic material with a texture comparable to that of a conventional balloon.<\/p>\n<p>But there is one crucial difference \u2014 it breaks down completely within nine months unlike traditional balloons, Cumming said.<\/p>\n<p>The Bioloon is the result of a public-private partnership launched by Charlotte Melia, an events entrepreneur, who describes herself as environmentally minded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0party\u00a0planner\u00a0for\u00a0over\u00a010\u00a0years\u00a0and\u00a0\u2026 I\u00a0was very\u00a0sustainably focused. The\u00a0final stumbling\u00a0block\u00a0for\u00a0me\u00a0was\u00a0the\u00a0balloon\u00a0waste,\u201d she told AFP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u00a0were\u00a0putting\u00a0out\u00a0thousands\u00a0of\u00a0party\u00a0balloons every\u00a0single\u00a0week,\u201d she said, but they were only there \u201cfor\u00a0a\u00a0matter\u00a0of\u00a0hours\u00a0simply\u00a0to\u00a0be popped\u00a0and\u00a0thrown\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0trash\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The final straw came when she realised\u00a0\u201cballoons\u00a0were\u00a0non-biodegradable\u201d even though the packaging said they would\u00a0say\u00a0break up \u201cat\u00a0the\u00a0rate\u00a0of\u00a0an\u00a0oak\u00a0leaf\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Convinced that a sustainable alternative was possible, Melia decided with an associate to put up some \u00a330,000 ($41,000) to part fund Cumming\u2019s doctoral research.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Ecological risk \u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The environmental impact of traditional balloons, which despite their advertising do not degrade, is largely unknown to the general public.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But a number of studies have documented the dangers posed by balloons once they end up in nature, particularly for marine life and birds.<\/p>\n<p>A 2019 study by the University of Tasmania, published in Scientific Reports, found balloons were \u201cthe highest-risk plastic debris item\u201d for seabirds, carrying a mortality risk 32 times higher than ingesting hard plastics.<\/p>\n<p>Imperial College\u2019s department of chemical engineering estimates that between 20 and 25 billion balloons are purchased worldwide every year.<\/p>\n<p>Cumming spent three years developing her formula.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The starting point is the same as for an ordinary balloon: natural latex derived from the sap of the rubber tree, native to the Amazon, and has changed little since the balloon was invented in 1824.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn\u00a0order\u00a0to\u00a0turn\u00a0the\u00a0natural\u00a0latex\u00a0into\u00a0something\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0refer\u00a0to\u00a0as\u00a0rubber it\u00a0goes\u00a0through this process\u00a0called\u00a0 sulphur\u00a0vulcanisation,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p>That involves adding\u00a0\u201csulphur\u00a0accelerators,\u00a0antioxidants, and activators\u00a0into the material\u201d which \u201cprevents\u00a0the biodegradation\u00a0of balloons\u201d and also\u00a0leaks\u00a0\u201ctoxic chemicals\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0environment\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Gloves, condoms and clothing \u2013<\/p>\n<p>It was this stage of the manufacturing process which became the focus of Cumming\u2019s research. \u201cOur balloon\u00a0is\u00a0still made \u00a0with\u00a0natural latex, but we blend it\u00a0with another\u00a0biodegradable\u00a0polymer\u00a0and\u00a0we don\u2019t add\u00a0any of\u00a0these\u00a0additives that\u00a0are used in traditional\u00a0balloons,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo\u00a0this\u00a0retains\u00a0the\u00a0biodegradability,\u201d she added, declining to reveal further details of the patented process.<\/p>\n<p>According to the creators, the Bioloon breaks down regardless of where it ends up.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers \u201ctested it in soil, seawater and deionised water. It degraded in all of those conditions\u00a0\u2026\u00a0and we\u00a0estimate that it\u00a0would\u00a0biodegrade\u00a0within\u00a0about\u00a0nine months,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Importantly for all those planning a shindig, the balloon inflates as easily as a conventional one.<\/p>\n<p>For Melia, the technology\u2019s potential extends far beyond party decorations, and could be adapted for everyday and medical products, including household gloves, surgical gloves, latex clothing and condoms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114302\" data-width=\"133\" data-height=\"139\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114302});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:125px; background:#91e7ac; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/> Blowing in the wind, humble balloon gets green makeover<br \/>\n<br \/>#Blowing #wind #humble #balloon #green #makeover<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A global symbol of parties and celebrations but an environmental headache, the humble balloon is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3079,15505,101,15506,4709,2691],"class_list":["post-20766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-balloon","tag-blowing","tag-green","tag-humble","tag-makeover","tag-wind"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436.jpg",768,512,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436.jpg",640,427,false],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436.jpg",640,427,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436.jpg",768,512,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436-768x500.jpg",768,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3dc4c8825a63db44440036446fcd5d54721f2436-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=7\" rel=\"category\">Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Stories","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20766\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}