Bubble wrap is a protective plastic covering that uses sealed air pockets. They help protect items wrapped in this film from damage. It is often used when sending items by mail and transporting them by vehicles.
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Over the years, it has also been used for many other purposes. One of them is that popping its bubbles gives many people a pleasant feeling and sometimes even helps reduce stress. Additionally, it is sometimes used in various contemporary art pieces.
But it was created… as wallpaper.
What later became known as bubble wrap was invented in 1957 in New Jersey (USA) by Marc Chavannes and Alfred W. Fielding.
It was an unsuccessful attempt to create wallpaper that would interest Americans at the time. They were supposed to have an unusual texture, as it was thought this would suit the tastes of the post-war generation.
One reason for using plastic for wallpaper was the desire to make it easier to clean.
The first version of the future bubble wrap was created by placing two plastic shower curtains side by side and heating them with a special device to bond them together.
The inventors were initially disappointed when the result was full of air bubbles, but soon began to consider the possibilities this provided.
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They abandoned the idea of covering walls with this bubble-covered product and started thinking about what else it could be used for.
The idea to use bubble plastic as packaging material came to M. Chavannes while observing clouds during a flight. Later, both men filed a patent application and began the journey toward the product we know today.
The product name also evolved. Initially, it was not called “bubble wrap.” When the inventors submitted the patent application, they called the product “laminated cushioning material.”
However, eventually the trademark became the phrase “Bubble Wrap.” The company Sealed Air filed an application to register this trademark in August 1981, and two years later the trademark was officially registered.
The popping bubbles became such an integral part of bubble wrap that when the manufacturer released an alternative version of bubble wrap in 2015 designed to make the bubbles harder to pop, it caused public outrage.
The manufacturer had to issue a statement assuring people that they would continue to produce the classic form of bubble wrap.
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