Is helium getting scarce? Balloon decoration without helium

Because it forms very slowly, and once released it disappears into space. The helium on Earth forms deep underground, through the decay of radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium. It collects in natural gas fields and is extracted there as a by-product. Once it reaches the air, it rises and disappears into space. That is why helium is a non-renewable resource.^{1Wikipedia, Helium} The same goes for the helium in a balloon: after the party, it is gone.

Meanwhile, helium has uses with few alternatives. In the United States, about 15 percent of helium goes to MRI scanners in hospitals, and 17 percent is used as a lifting gas, among other things in balloons. Laboratories, chip factories and the space industry use it too.^{2U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Helium, February 2026}

Because almost all helium comes from a few countries. If one drops out, the whole world notices. In 2025, about 190 million cubic metres of helium were extracted worldwide. The United States and Qatar together supplied just over three quarters of it.^{2U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Helium, February 2026} In March 2026, attacks hit the large Ras Laffan gas complex in Qatar, which accounts for about a third of world production. Supply became tight, and hospitals worried about their MRI scanners.^{3Euronews, Helium supply crunch puts MRI services at risk amid Qatar disruptions, 25 March 2026}

The European Union sees the risk too. Since 2023, helium has been on the European list of critical raw materials: raw materials that matter to the economy and whose supply is at risk.^{4European Commission, Critical raw materials}

With air and a frame. Then you get the look of balloons, without them having to float. Many decorations stand instead of floating: a column at the entrance, an arch over the door, a cluster on the table. For a single party, air-filled latex balloons on a frame or garland are a good choice.

Our balls are made of PVC and click onto a frame, so helium never comes into it. Even the balls at the top of the balloon fountain seem to float, but are carried by the frame. Afterwards the balls go back into the box deflated, and at the next event you again need no helium.