Shrewsbury Town Council bans release of sky lanterns on its land
Shrewsbury Town Council has agreed to ban the release of sky lanterns from its land due to their damage to the environment and threat to animals.
The council voted unanimously to ban the release of lanterns and balloons at a full council meeting.
It comes after a similar move by Shropshire Council in February, and several other authorities up and down the country.
The release of lanterns, a custom which originated in China, was always considered good luck. They became popular around the world and were often released at family events and as tributes for people who died.
But several serious fires have been caused. In 2009, a 10-year-old boy died in Germany after a house caught fire due to a lantern. And in 2013, a fire at a recycling plant in Smethwick, in the West Mid;lands, involving 100,000 tonnes of recycling material caused £6 million of damage.
Copthorne councillor Rob Wilson, who tabled the motion, said: “For many years, the Marine Conservation Society has run a campaign to make sky lantern and balloon releases illegal by classifying this activity as ‘littering’. Unfortunately, little progress has been made in this area and we still have the threat of damage to both the environment and animals.”
Both the RSPCA and The National Farmers’ Union of England have long campaigned for a ban and to make it illegal to release sky lanterns.
Councillor Wilson added: “There has been a concerted effort to get local authorities to prohibit these activities on land they own, and whilst this has had some success around the country with more councils banning them, there is a need to go further.
“Sky lanterns are not only a fire hazard, but a threat to animals, including livestock and they also damage the environment. People may release them with the best of intentions, but once in the air, there is no control over where they float or where they come down.
“We have to encourage people to refrain from this way of celebrating major life events, with something more environmentally friendly that will have a more positive impact on wildlife and the environment in our towns and the countryside.”
While some balloons are sold as ‘biodegradable’, they can take up to four years to decompose. This litter can then pose a problem for wildlife potentially ingesting the material, while wire from sky lanterns can result in injuries to animals if they become entangled or trapped in it.
The town council is looking to request that the Government reclassifies the release of balloons and sky lanterns as ‘littering’, which will help to make the activity illegal throughout the country.
Alternative ideas to the release of balloons and sky lanterns for celebrations can be found on the RSPCA website at rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/litter/balloon-and-sky-lantern-alternatives
