Are Bubble Solutions Eco-Friendly?
What You Need to Know About Bubble Mix Ingredients
If you’re looking at bubble solutions for an event, party, school, festival or outdoor activity, you may have wondered:
Are bubbles eco-friendly?
It’s a really good question, particularly if you’re using large quantities of bubble solution outdoors, around animals, plants, children or sensitive environments.
The short answer is: not all bubble solutions are the same, and it’s important to look at what is actually being used in the mixture.
Are Bubble Solutions Eco-Friendly?
What You Need to Know About Bubble Mix Ingredients
If you’re looking at bubble solutions for an event, party, school, festival or outdoor activity, you may have wondered:
Are bubbles eco-friendly?
It’s a really good question, particularly if you’re using large quantities of bubble solution outdoors, around animals, plants, children or sensitive environments.
The short answer is: not all bubble solutions are the same, and it’s important to look at what is actually being used in the mixture.
What is in professional bubble solution?
Professional bubble solutions are generally made from a combination of water, surfactants (the ingredients in soap that create the bubbles) and a polymer or other thickening agent that helps create stronger, stretchy and longer-lasting bubbles.
Some bubble mixtures use synthetic polymers, such as J-Lube and other similar polymers. These are commonly used because they can produce excellent bubbles and are much more stable than some natural alternatives.
Our Pro Bubble Mix is one such product. It contains a synthetic polymer and is designed to be mixed with Fairy Liquid before use.
Because Fairy Liquid contains synthetic ingredients too, we do not describe our finished bubble mixture as eco-friendly.
We think it is important to be transparent about that rather than making an environmental claim simply because bubbles themselves might seem harmless.
Why don’t we publish the complete ingredient list?
Customers sometimes ask us for the exact formulation of our bubble solutions.
We don’t publish the full ingredient list because our bubble mixes are proprietary formulations. This is common within the professional bubble entertainment industry, where manufacturers and suppliers develop their own formulations and don’t disclose the complete recipe.
We are, however, always happy to discuss the types of ingredients used and answer questions about how our products are made and intended to be used.
What about natural bubble polymers?
There are natural polymer alternatives available.
One example is guar gum, a natural polymer made from guar beans. It can be used as a thickening agent in homemade bubble solutions and can produce very good bubbles. We include a guar gum (only) recipe in our DIY Recipe Masterclass Here.
So why don’t we use guar gum in our professional products?
One of the main problems is shelf life.
Bubble mixtures made using guar gum can have a considerably shorter shelf life and can deteriorate or go off relatively quickly. That’s not particularly practical for a professional product that needs to be manufactured, stored and supplied to customers.
Synthetic polymers can offer much greater stability and consistency, which is important when you’re making bubble solution for professional use.
But ALL DIY recipes will require Fairy Liquid
Please note: Fairy Liquid product warnings state that the product is harmful to aquatic life and plant life.
For this reason, extra care should be taken when using DIY bubble solutions containing Fairy Liquid around ponds, water features, natural waterways, animals or sensitive plants.
Avoid allowing concentrated Fairy Liquid or large quantities of bubble solution to enter soil or water, and take particular care in environments where animals, aquatic life or delicate plants may come into contact with the solution.
What If You’re Using Bubbles Around Animals or Plants?
There are some situations where you may want to take extra care when choosing your bubble solution.
For example, you might be planning a bubble show or event at a zoo, safari park or animal attraction, where bubbles could be used relatively close to animal enclosures. Or perhaps you’re working in a carefully maintained botanical or exotic garden, where rare, delicate or expensive plants are being grown and looked after.
What about grass?
One important consideration that is sometimes overlooked is where the bubble liquid is going to land.
If large quantities of bubble liquid are allowed to collect on grass, it can cause damage to the grass and may result in brown or dead patches. This is particularly important when performing outdoors, as bubble shows can involve a considerable amount of liquid being deposited onto the ground.
If you are working on grass, we strongly recommend considering grass protection and planning your performance area accordingly.
This is especially important when working in a botanical garden, exotic garden, stately garden, wedding venue or other carefully maintained grounds, where the grass and planting may be valuable or expensive to maintain.
If you are an entertainer or event organiser, make sure the customer or venue is aware that bubble liquid may come into contact with the grass and discuss suitable protection before the event.
Eco-Friendly Mixture
Our Pro Bubble Mix is not marketed as eco-friendly, so if you specifically require an eco-friendly bubble solution for use around animals or valuable plant collections, it may be worth looking at a product that has been specifically formulated and marketed with this type of use in mind.
For example, Dr Zigs specifically markets some of its bubble products as eco-friendly, so this may be an alternative worth investigating.
The important thing is to consider the specific environment and how the bubbles will be used. If you are working at a zoo, safari park, botanical garden or another sensitive location, we would also recommend speaking to the venue beforehand. They may have their own requirements about which products can be used around their animals, plants, ponds, water features or grounds.
Always check with the venue
If you’re performing somewhere with valuable landscaping, rare plants, animals or sensitive grounds, don’t simply assume that the venue will be happy for any bubble solution to be used.
Ask first, explain what your bubble show involves, and check whether they have any restrictions or requirements.
A little planning beforehand can prevent damage to grass, plants or other areas — and help ensure that your bubble show is suitable for the venue.
Does “natural” automatically mean eco-friendly?
Not necessarily.
This is an important distinction.
A natural ingredient isn’t automatically harmless to every environment, and a synthetic ingredient isn’t automatically dangerous simply because it is synthetic.
The environmental impact of a finished bubble solution depends on the whole formulation, the quantities being used, where it is being used and what it comes into contact with.
That’s why we prefer not to make broad environmental claims about our own products.
Our approach
At Bubbly Heaven, our priority is making professional-quality bubble solutions that work reliably for bubble shows, workshops, parties and events.
We use synthetic polymers because they provide the consistency, strength and shelf life that we need from a professional product.
But we also believe customers should have the information they need to make the right choice for their particular event.
If you specifically need an eco-friendly bubble solution, our Pro Bubble Mix isn’t the product we would recommend.
Instead, look for a product that is specifically formulated and marketed for that purpose, and check that its environmental claims are appropriate for the environment in which you intend to use it.
Have a question about bubble mix?
If you’re unsure which type of bubble solution is right for your event, we’re always happy to help.
Whether you’re planning a bubble show, school workshop, children’s party, festival or something a little more unusual, feel free to get in touch and tell us what you’re planning.
You may even see your question answered in a future episode of You Asked Bubbly Heaven!
Bubbly wishes, Cheryl
cheryl@bubblyheaven.co.uk
