What is a Balloon made of?

The two kinds of balloon behave completely differently once released. Latex is a natural polymer and does break down, though far more slowly than the marketing suggests — months to years, and long enough to be eaten by wildlife. Foil balloons never break down and are also electrically conductive, so they cause power cuts and substation faults when they drift into overhead lines; several US states restrict their release for exactly that reason. Latex balloons are also a genuine allergen risk for people sensitised to natural rubber proteins, and they are one of the highest-risk choking hazards for small children because a burst fragment moulds to the airway.

Component by component

Other around the house objects

• Banknote Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
• Lego brick ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
• Soap Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
• Toothpaste Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.
• Coin Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
• Sunscreen UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
• Credit card Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
• Candle Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.
• Lipstick Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
• Shampoo Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.
• Deodorant Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.
• Toothbrush Nylon filaments stapled into a polypropylene handle with a wire — three plastics that cannot be separated for recycling.