It was Saba’s first birthday since joining her new school and her friends were excited to celebrate.

“We must arrange a surprise party for her,” Naseem told her friends.

The friends decided to hold the party at Naseem’s home and assigned tasks to each other. Ali was asked to bring balloons for decoration, while Sadia offered to arrange the cake and candles.

Ali told his mum about the party, and also asked her to buy him balloons; his mother thought for a while and then shared some surprising information about balloons.

“Ali, I know every kid loves to have balloons while celebrating their birthday party and, of course, no birthday is complete without balloon decorations. However, did you know that balloons are among the top three most harmful pollutants threatening marine and wildlife?” she asked.

Ali was intrigued. “Really? But how do they get into water?” he asked.

His mother then explained that balloons are made from nylon, latex, rubber, etc., and can take years to break down. She emphasised that the poor management of dumping garbage into landfills and the sea often endangers both life in land and sea. “Even worse, the little marine creatures mistake plastic of all kinds for food and swallow it. Sadly, thousands of marine animals die each year as a result of plastic debris,” she added.

Ali was shocked to his core. “I had no idea. This is quite shocking and saddening to know. But mum, if not balloons, what should we use for decoration?” he asked.

His mum smiled. “Ali. Instead of balloons, you can use paper garlands, flowers or even handmade paper decorations. They’re much more environment-friendly and can add a personal touch to the party.”

Ali was initially reluctant, but then he thought it wasn’t that bad after all. If switching decoration items from balloons to paper could help save the environment, they shouldn’t hesitate to bring the change.

The next day, he shared this information with his friends. All the kids were shocked; like Ali, they were initially hesitant, but soon they got on board and decided to cancel their plan to use balloons for decoration.

“So what now?” asked Sadia.

“Mum said, we can use colourful papers and make buntings and flowers or get ideas for decoration from the internet. We can also use fresh flowers,” Ali said.

The friends agreed and decided to buy small plants and bought flower garlands and for a birthday present, they bought a storybook for Saba.

At the party, all the kids’ mothers were present, and they appreciated the children’s decision to switch to fresh flowers and paper decorations. The mothers shared more information about the impact of balloons and various types of plastic on the environment. They explained that even biodegradable balloons can take up to a year to break down, while foil balloons take even longer. They also highlighted that single-use plastics, like straws, are now widely recognised as harmful to wildlife and the environment. However, balloons still tend to be associated with celebration and fun, despite being a deadly nightmare for marine life.

The friends were grateful for the information and promised to avoid using balloons in the future. As they celebrated Saba’s birthday, the friends realised that small actions can make a big difference in protecting the environment. They also learnt that by making conscious choices, they can help reduce pollution and preserve the beauty of nature.

“Thanks for telling us about the balloons, Ali,” Naseem said. “We didn’t know how much harm they could cause.”

“No problem, guys,” Ali replied. “We should always try to do what’s best for the environment. Every small action counts.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 15th, 2025