Join our campaign to ban sky lanterns

Sky lanterns are essentially a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a candle is suspended and can float for miles before they fall to the ground.

Every year up to 200,000 sky lanterns are released in the UK. These “floating flames” are highly dangerous.

They can:

• Start wildfires
• Kill animals
• Destroy food growing in fields
• Set homes and buildings alight

And the litter they leave in their wake is a blight on our beautiful countryside.

That’s why action is needed now.

Sign our petition for a total ban on sky lanterns.

Sign the petition

Our campaign journey so far

In 2019, the NFU launched a campaign to urge people to email their council to ban sky lanterns on land it owns. To date 200 councils out of 333 have banned them in England and Wales. Find out if your council has banned sky lanterns.

Then in 2021, the NFU, alongside 17 leading farming, environment, animal and fire organisations including the RSPCA and National Fire Chiefs Council, wrote to to Rebecca Pow MP, Under Secretary of State for Defra to highlight the danger of sky lanterns.

The coalition then met with the then Environment Minister, Jo Churchill MP. She committed to commission further research into the risks of sky lanterns.

In May 2022, our petition launched calling for support for a total ban on the sale and use of sky lanterns in England and Wales.

In November 2022, we wrote to then Environment Minister, Trudy Harrison MP, to ask for a national ban on sky lanterns. In a positive step forward, Defra has now commissioned further research into sky lanterns and their impact to clarify the case for a total ban. 

In January 2023, our petition reached more than 100,000 signatures as more members of the public became concerned with the harmful impact of sky lanterns. 100,000 signatures is recognised by Parliament as a significant milestone. We would like to thank everyone who has lent their support to our campaign to ban sky lanterns for their role in protecting the British countryside. 

In November 2023, we wrote to Defra again, calling for the research findings to be shared given the ongoing support from the public calling for a ban

Our petition remains open and we would encourage people to continue letting Defra know their concerns about the harms of sky lanterns by adding their signature. 

Which councils have banned sky lanterns?

A number of councils have backed the campaign and banned the release of sky lanterns on council owned land. If you know that your local council has implemented a ban, but isn't on a list, please let us know by dropping our campaigns team an email.