“As one of the largest retailers of wish lanterns online we think it is important that we join in this debate to put across our opinion on our wish lanterns.
In the USA and the UK, there has been an influx of news coverage about wish lanterns. Mostly these have been very positive but some have chosen to focus on problems with the product ….. with the scaremongers elevating this to an issue for society at large. There have been farmers who denounced sky lanterns as “lethal litter” which also pose a serious threat to cows who might inadvertently chomp down the small wire attached to the fuel cells.
There were the coastguards and local residents who mistook the lanterns for distress signals, oh, and there were residents of Kinmen, Taiwan who asked for sky lanterns to be banned when they supposedly caused a fire. It seems that these one hundred percent biodegradable, delicate decorative party accessories, are society’s latest menace…I think not.
Here’s the truth of it, Sky lanterns, Chinese lanterns and Wish lanterns, are safe when used correctly. As with a car it’s what some individuals choose to do with them that causes the real problems. If you read the safety instructions (or just use a bit of common sense), you’ll note that it is never a good idea to release a lantern in a wooded area (nor in a mine zone as was the case in Taiwan), or when it is particularly windy (as their flight path becomes unpredictable), nor should you let intoxicated, irresponsible individuals, or youngsters handle the lanterns, lest they break them, or burn themselves. There is no reason at all why lanterns should be considered safety hazards.
Even the farmers’ gripe hasn’t much weight to it. Of course lantern litter- like any litter- should always be disposed of safely at the earliest opportunity, but purchase from a supplier like us – www.skywishlanterns.com – and you will be purchasing a lantern without any wire. We moved over to a 100% wire free eco lantern earlier last year.
And lastly if you think through the nature of the product once up in the air it is impossible for a Wishlantern to come down until the flame has extinguished itself. This is simple physics and I am surprised it is down to us to explain this to a fire chief – surely this man has educated advisors.
The real problem is that Wish lanterns are becoming immensely popular. With more and more people releasing them than ever before, there will inevitably be the odd complication. These are isolated cases however so, what I advise, is that you just take a bit of care whilst you enjoy yourself. Simple.”
” As in any industry you also have the problems of suppliers importing inferior products into the market. All the lanterns that we sell are hand made and go through strict testing at the factories and at internationally recognised testing houses. Our wishlanterns are the highest quality available in the usa – with safety features like double sided flame retardent paper and non-drip fuel cells.
We would actively encourage greater regulation of importers of lanterns into the USA as the quality of our product is heads and shoulders above some of the vendors that are entering the market. For more information on our quality standards contact us directly at contact@wishlantern.com
Google+