A Force For Good

Our Commitment to Our Employees

When we rapidly expanded Banzi in 2020, we suddenly went from being a hardworking couple to hiring employees. We thought about the principles that guided our lives and considered how those would help us be better “bosses.” We knew we should pay a living wage and provide a fun atmosphere. We decided early on that “If we can’t provide a crew member enough hours and wages to pay their rent, we don’t deserve to hire another crew member.” We also realized that making balloons doesn’t require a formal education or set hours. We discovered we could be flexible and hire people who might not fit in the traditional labor force. The principle of equity means that everyone deserves a great job.

• We employ people who need to fit their hours around parenthood, school events, and sick kids.
• We’ve got room for neurodiversity on our team.
• One overqualified crew member has a host of medical ailments that get in the way of a traditional job, but she works sporadic hours from home and does an amazing job keeping our systems running.
• An employee once told me, “You should hire my friend. She’s fun and funny and works hard… Is it ok if she’s blind?” I thought about it for a moment and said, “I don’t think that’d be a problem. Let’s give it a try.” She’s been with us a three years now and showed us how easy inclusion can be.
• We also don’t discriminate based on who someone loves or what their gender identity is. We have a safe workplace for our LGBTQ+ colleagues (and clients) and they know we have their back in and out of work. Our diversity makes us stronger.

Our commitment to our crew includes flexibility and understanding as a rule and a sincere belief that we should help our team develop skills and leadership abilities they can use at Banzi or in a future job. We want every employee to flourish, even if Banzi is a stepping stone to their future career. We offer a scholarship for any crew pursuing higher education, split tips with the whole team, let them create free balloons for their families, and recently started a matching 401k program. Our commitment to our team has also led to very low turnover, meaning the people taking your order or making your balloons are professionals with years of experience.

Our Commitment to Our Community

We are proud members of the Indianapolis community and want to give back as much as possible while keeping our commitments to our family and crew.

Inspired by our legally blind crew member, we began working with the Indiana School for the Blind, welcoming high school interns each summer. We’ve learned how to make our studio and tasks accessible and they’ve experienced that not all jobs require high visual acuity.

We also offer volunteer opportunities while “on the clock” to give back to local organizations.

The most important way we give back is by donating balloons to select local nonprofits. We realized early on that we could multiply our impact by donating balloons to select nonprofit organizations. By providing balloons for free, at cost, or at a discount, we could make a much bigger difference than we ever could donating money. We chose 5 areas to support (homeless/low income people, refugees, animal welfare, blindness, and rare genetic disorders), and each year we quietly create over ten thousand dollars of décor for these partners. If you’re interested in a donation, please check out our donation page here.

Our Commitment to Our Environment

At Banzi, we try to be good stewards of the environment. We use sustainably sourced, biodegradable balloons to create phenomenal decorations.

Sustainable: Did you know that balloons are made out of tree sap harvested from rubber trees? Much like tapping a maple tree for syrup, workers cut a shallow V-shaped groove in the bark for latex to drip into bowls that are collected regularly. Each tree can produce latex for 38 years. Our favorite brand sources latex and creates balloons directly in Colombia, so hundreds of local workers can be employed harvesting sap and creating balloons rather than clear-cutting the forest for agriculture or industry.

Biodegradable: Our latex balloons biodegrade over time. If exposed to the elements, Qualatex brand says they biodegrade at the same rate as an oak leaf. While I can’t independently verify that, I can say that whenever I’ve tried to keep balloons from breaking down (like Christina’s wedding bouquet) they have biodegraded and photodegraded despite our best efforts.

Responsible: Even though balloons gradually biodegrade, it is still a horrible idea to release them into the environment. That is why we join the rest of the balloon community in rejecting balloon releases. Sending a balloon toward heaven seems like a great way to remember a loved one, but marine life can mistake balloon pieces for food, while ribbons can entangle wildlife. We encourage anyone remembering a loved one to plant a tree, sponsor a scholarship, or give a gift in their memory rather than releasing balloons. We adamantly refuse to provide balloons for balloon releases and encourage customers to “pin it and bin it” once they’ve used their helium balloons.

Low waste: At the end of an event, balloons do create waste. There’s no denying that. We reuse our bases and structural elements, but foil balloons do not biodegrade, and we can only reuse them occasionally. Everyday life always involves environmental trade-offs. The great thing is that balloons have a lower waste footprint than just about any form of décor. All the popped pieces of a balloon garland can fit in a shoebox and even our largest balloon sculpture fit entirely in two trash bags after it was popped. When compared to plastic signs, foam sculptures, floral centerpieces or most other single-use décor items, balloon décor sends a lot less material to the landfill. Even a giant balloon sculpture at a convention generates far less waste than the next day’s boxed lunch.

At Banzi we strive to limit our environmental impact whenever possible, and try to be open and honest when we can’t. We hope that you’ll join us in taking good care of the planet we all share.

Brian Getz
Co-owner of Banzi Balloons