Most of these balloons are those falsely marketed by the balloon industry as “biodegradable latex.” All photos were taken by Balloons Blow on Hutchinson Island, Florida, USA – unless otherwise noted. All photos with citations may be used for education purposes.
Flotsam and Jetsam 7
Flotsam & Jetsam
Debris washing ashore, willet feeding in the background. In this picture is deodorant, a plastic cap, 2 straws & a piece of shoe.
Scrub Brush
Where did this come from?
Flotsam & Jetsam
“Salt Water Tested”
16 balloons
All washed ashore onto our beautiful desolate beach. Single-use plastic bottles, plastic straws, plastic caps, plastic utensils, polystyrene, shoes, yards of rope & fishing line, more oil-laden Cuban debris, a 5 gallon bucket full of plastic “chokables” & a glob of oil. And of course balloons, 16 latex balloons, all burst into perfect “jellyfish.” International Coastal Cleanup Day shouldn’t be just once a year.
Plastic Pollution
Can’t escape plastic pollution, even in the woods of Maine.
Plymouth, Maine
Stopped at another trail & couldn’t catch a break from trash.
Popham Beach, Maine
Finally made it to the beach in Maine! Lots of plastic & polystyrene “chokables,” plastic caps & lobster claw bands. And of course, a latex balloon.
Plastic and Trash
Deep in the woods of Maine, some forest gardener wasn’t very green with their fertilizing methods :-/
13 balloons
Glad to be back at the beach in Florida!! 🙂 Lots of plastic pollution waiting for us. Single-use plastic water bottles, plastic caps, plastic straws, plastic utensils, plastic bags, fishing gear, line, hooks, rope, shoes, more oil-laden debris, & things from Cuba, Dominican Republic & Columbia. And of course, 13 balloons – 12 latex & 1 Mylar. Today we’re joining 5 for 5 Gyres.
Plastic Pollution
Nikini Purified Carribean Water.
Eco-Earth Bottle?
Plastic water bottles are not a good way to “protect the land and secure our heritage.”
Plastic Bottle Cap
Algae-covered plastic bottle cap.
Flotsam & Jetsam
Rope, balloon ribbon & plastic bags.
Beach Debris
Once a binocular, now a monocle.
Flotsam & Jetsam
We’ve been finding a lot of these rope, balloon ribbon & plastic bags combos lately!
Plastic Cup
Wonder how long this was in the sea.
Oil Pollution
Shells stuck to a glob of oil.
Ditch the Plastic!
It’s a shame the whole world is addicted to single-use plastic water bottles.
Plastic Pollution
Oily plastic bottle.
Haircomb
Not the kind of beach-combing we like to see.
Don't use plastic straws
We prefer to see mangrove beans washed ashore, not plastic straws :-/
Beach Debris
Margarine container from Argentina.
More Plastic
Goose barnacles growing on plastic bottle.
More Shoes
Oil-soaked shoe.