Reusable containers are now available for a summer staple: water balloons.
Walnut, Calif.-based Soppycid says its silicone, reusable balls with magnetic closures "reimagine" the water balloon. It can be reused at least 1,000 times but is still soft enough for safe play, the company says. Soppycid was first introduced in mid-2022. They turned up at my local pool — where they've been tossed between lanes as "motivation" during swim practice — this year.
The silicone balls fit within two trends for sustainability: ticking the boxes for reuse and being waste-free because they eliminate the tiny pieces of latex left behind by traditional water balloon tosses. Those pieces can end up being eaten by pets or wildlife.
Local and state officials nationwide have enacted bans and fines for intentional littering with traditional balloons due to concerns about the trash left behind. The city of Cleveland has a $150 fine for releasing 10 or more balloons. Those rules mostly point to balloons that float, although the same material goes into water balloons.
Soppycid's alternative are sold in multipacks of four balls or more, starting at $12.