Melbourne council to introduce balloon and disposable plastics ban

RESIDENTS in Melbourne’s north will soon be forbidden to sell or use balloons, following a unanimous vote from the Darebin council.

Melbourne council votes to ban balloons.

SOON businesses and residents in three of Melbourne’s suburbs will be banned from selling or purchasing balloons and other plastics such as disposable food containers and cups.

A recent vote by the City of Darebin council, which is made up of the suburbs of Preston, Northcote and Thornbury, saw members unanimously agree to ban the plastic items from being sold or used on council land.

Residents looking to buy balloons for a party or event will find them increasingly harder to find as the ban comes into effect over the next two years.

The council has said that exceptions on the ban will be made for certain public events where disposable plastic is necessary.

Greens councillor Trent McCarthy said the introduction of the new policy is a step in the right direction in tackling environmental issues.

“It’s important that when we ask people to not leave plastics around in our public spaces, that we’re also doing everything we can to reduce the use of those single-use plastics ourselves,” Mr McCarthy told the ABC.

Darebin made headlines last year when the council voted to dump Australia Day celebrations, in favour of a “culturally appropriate event”.

Even latex balloons can take years to break down and can have harmful effects on wildlife. Picture: iStock

But not everyone in the community is pleased with the ban, with some arguing that the decision will hurt family businesses.

Balloon Artists and Suppliers Association president Ray Stewart argued that latex balloons should not be included in the ban.

“To push balloons in with their plastic bans … it’s just dishonest, it doesn’t give the issue of latex balloons the attention it deserves,” Mr Stewart said.

“Surely it’s worth looking into because the impacts that a full ban has on so many members of our community — mum-and-dad businesses who provide for their families through the sale of these balloons.”

Latex balloons are often labelled as “biodegradable” and more environmentally friendly than other balloons, but they can still take years to break down and can cause damage to wild life if ingested.

Originally published as Melbourne council to introduce balloon and disposable plastics ban