Avid beach womble Janet Unitt found the tag dated 5 September 1998 by the Llanelli Ladies Circle on Belle Greve Bay last week.
‘Often beachcombers find bits and pieces that have washed up from decades ago, but balloon competitions were a trend for years and so it’s worrying how much plastic and rubber is in the sea because of them,’ she said.
The tag was found alone, without the string and balloon, however Ms Unitt said that she often finds balloons along the island’s beaches.
‘The plastic and rubber won’t break down for hundreds of years,’ she said.
‘The gulls can get the string wrapped round them and other animals ingest the rubber, so in the grand scheme of things it’s just another form of littering.’
Ms Unitt said she was against balloon releases for charity races and competitions, but despite the environmental impact, she understands that for some people it is part of their grieving process.
‘People often release balloons to remember or celebrate the lives of loved ones and send a message to heaven,’ she said.
‘Even though they have such an impact on the environment, I don’t feel that I could dictate the way that someone grieves.’
Ms Unitt has been wombling as a hobby for five years, however she has always been passionate about keeping the island’s beaches clean.
‘It was instilled in me by my parents that when you leave the beach you take home your rubbish and anyone else’s that you find on your way as well.
‘I enjoy going to Guernsey’s “less appealing” beaches and seeing what I can find in the rocky areas.’
Ms Unitt did think about contacting the Llanelli Ladies Circle to show them her find, but could not trace the group on the internet.
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