Uncle Joe's Mint Balls Uncle Joe's Mint Balls Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are mints produced by Wm Santus & Co. Ltd. in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England since 1898. Despite their name, the mints are not truly spherical but oblate spheroids. The ingredients of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are: pure cane sugar, oil of peppermint and cream of tartar and are described on the tin as "suitable for vegans". The words "Gluten Free" are also on the tin lid. The early mint balls were made by William Santus' wife, Ellen, before production moved to a factory near Wigan Wallgate railway station in 1919. The packaging,
Shade balls their manufacture. Nevertheless, the balls have a lifespan of ten years, and the plastic may be reused after that. The shade balls used in the Los Angeles project are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with carbon black additive to protect the plastic from ultraviolet radiation. They are about in diameter, and are partially filled with water to avoid being blown by wind. HDPE plastic is commonly used for food and beverage containers as well as water distribution pipes. The black coating on the balls, called carbon black, is a petroleum derivative which is classified as a carcinogen if inhaled as