History And Effectiveness Of Bubble Wrap

Generally speaking, cushioning is used in packaging to protect fragile items during their transportation. Packages are often dropped or kicked accidentally or generally impacted somehow during their transportation and so cushioning the packaging is a step that must be taken to ensure fragile objects are not harmed.

A reliable way of cushioning an object so that it doesnt get harmed in the transportation process is to use bubble wrap. Bubble wrap has been used for this for just over fifty years and is still going strong.

In essence, bubble wrap is a plastic, see through sheet with regularly spaced out bubbles of air in it which provide the cushioning for the item.

Bubble wrap was created in 1957 by two engineers by the names of Marc Chavannes and Alfred Fielding and the term bubble wrap was (and technically still is) a trademark of the Sealed Air Corporation which was founded by the same partners and should really only be used for products of that company

Sometimes more than one layer of bubble wrap is more effective than bigger bubbles, but its not always necessary. If something isnt likely to break completely but has a delicate finish on the surface, then a single layer of bubble wrap will suffice to ensure that the item does not get scratched.

There is a range of sizes that you can find bubble wrap bubbles in. The standard sizes range from around 6mm to around 26mm but if you buy it direct from a supplier then you can usually order custom sizes and obviously, the bigger the object, the bigger bubbles you will need to protect it.

Not all bubble wrap is made from the same material, the type of plastic used differs depending on what needs to be transported. For example, sensitive electronic components will require an anti-static material for packaging as static can easily damage them.

Bubble wrap is also used for amusement, as Im sure you well know if you cast your mind back to childhood. The bubbles make a clear popping noise when squeezed and pierced which is somehow satisfying. It is sometimes used as a stress relief tool and some websites even have virtual bubble wrap which you can pop by clicking on it. Some may call this pointless, others may call it brilliant, and the chances are that it has elements of both.