This is the second year in a row that the Helium used to float the giant balloon's above the parade is being recovered. In past years, the Helium was sent into the atmosphere. Why is it a big deal to recover it now?Helium is a limited and increasingly scare resource. It is produced very slowly through a process of decaying uranium and thorium. Currently, only about 5 percent of the world’s helium is being recycled.
In previous years, the helium from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons was released into the air. This year, a team from Linde and Macy’s will use instruments to collect the helium directly from the balloons and recycle it for future use. Today’s recycling effort represents a major landmark for helium recycling worldwide.
