Hi Lemmy,

I’m organising a funeral, and one of the ideas that has come up is for people to write memories on a balloon and let them go. However, I’ve also heard that they often end up in trees etc and are terrible for the environment.

Is there such a thing as environmentally safe balloons? Other suggestions are also welcome.

  • Tristaniopsis@aussie.zone
    15·
    10 months ago

    Yeah… balloons end up in the sea and frequently turtles eat them thinking that their jellyfish. Dead sea turtles have been found stuffed full of plastic bags and balloons.

    Paper lanterns end up setting things on fire far away.

    Could you perhaps stop the magical disposable up-in-air thinking and do something else? Like write wishes on pieces of bark and hide them in a forest to break down harmlessly?

    • z00s@lemmy.worldOP
      7·
      10 months ago

      It’s not magical thinking at all, ceremonies like that provide genuine feelings of relief and catharsis for participants.

      • Tristaniopsis@aussie.zone
        6·
        10 months ago

        Sorry I missed the funeral part earlier.

        I still don’t think balloons or fire lanterns are in any way responsible.

        Paper boats are generally ok as they breakdown pretty quickly.