Sky Lanterns & Animal Safety - RSPCA

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1. Home
2. Advice and welfare
3. Litter
4. Sky lanterns

Litter Sky lanterns and animal welfare

Sky lanterns are made from paper-covered wire or bamboo frames with a candle inside. The heat from the candle lifts the lantern into the air where it can float for miles. Once the candle has gone out, the lantern falls back to the ground where it becomes a hazard to animals and the environment. They can also get trapped – in trees, for example – while the flame is still burning, causing a fire risk.

These lanterns are also known as ‘Chinese’, ‘wish’, ‘floating’ or ‘party’ lanterns.

Are sky lanterns banned in the UK?

Currently, sky lanterns are only banned in Wales on all council land. We've been campaigning for years for England to implement the same ban but have been met with limited success.

The dangers of sky lanterns

Paper lanterns aren't safe for animals or the environment. They can injure or even kill animals, causing much suffering.

• Animals can suffer severe injuries and stress if they get tangled up in them.
• Animals can starve to death if they get trapped.
• Small splinters from the frames can become embedded in an animal’s skin, causing wounds and infection.
• Animals can die if they eat the lanterns. When they're eaten, sharp parts like the wire frame can tear and puncture their throat or stomach causing internal bleeding. If they fall into farmers’ fields, the frames can get chopped up into silage and hay, with small, needle-like parts entering the feed.
• Sky lanterns can cause fires as they use an open flame to float. This can destroy habitats and set animal housing, feed and bedding alight. The fire risk is higher during the dry summer months when grass and other vegetation are drier.

• Marine life can suffer when lanterns fall into the sea – they could eat parts of the lanterns or get tangled up in them.

Are biodegradable lanterns a safe alternative?

‘Biodegradable' paper lanterns aren’t safe either. Materials such as bamboo can take decades to degrade and there's still a risk of fire, injury and death.

What can I do?

To avoid causing danger to our countryside and animals, never use these paper lanterns. Instead, find other ways to celebrate with alternatives to sky lanterns.

You can also help by:

• picking up lantern litter
• encouraging others to stop using lanterns
• contacting event planners and retailers to ask them to use safe alternatives
• contacting local councils about planned releases and asking the organisers to consider alternatives
• writing to your local MP (England).

Ban sky lanterns to protect animals

Along with a range of organisations, we're calling for a ban on sky lanterns. Many fire and rescue services, the Marine Conservation Society, the Women's Food and Farming Union (WFU), Soil Association and National Farmers Union (NFU), and many animal sanctuaries and zoos support a ban, due to the danger to animals and the environment.

Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is researching the use of sky lanterns and disposable barbecues. It wants to find out more about the issue and the environmental impact. In response, the NFU has launched a petition to gather and demonstrate public support for the banning of sky lanterns.

Add your voice

Help stop sky litter and its danger to animals and the destruction of their habitats through wildfires.

Sign the petition

Find out more

How littering harms animals

Thousands of animals are injured every year due to litter. Find out what you can do to help.

What to do with injured wild animals

What to do when you find one and how you should help.

End sky litter campaign

We've escalated our campaign against sky lanterns and balloon releases.

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