Copyright (c) 2010 Filton Kingswood

Bubble wrap is often taken for granted but have you considered how and why it was invented. It is used for a variety of reasons in today's world ' from moving house, to packaging, to entertaining children. This article looks at the invention of bubble wrap, how it can be used and where it can be purchased in the UK

The Invention - where did it come from Bubble wrap was invented in 1957 by two American engineers called Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes. The underlying reason behind their creation is not documented but their invention has become an every day item throughout the world. Despite being a registered brand, the term 'bubble wrap' is now commonly used to refer to all similar products known as 'cushioning material' - in a similar way that 'Hoover' has become synonymous with vacuum cleaners.

Bubble wrap is a pliable transparent plastic material which consists of regularly spaced, protruding 'bubbles'. It was invented by two American engineers in 1957 - Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes. Despite being an official brand name of Sealed Air Corporation, the term 'bubble wrap' is now widely used to refer to all items within the 'cushioning material' category.

What Uses Does our cushioned packaging have Bubble wrap has a wide variety of uses. Most commonly it is used as a packaging material as the bubble provides shock absorption to reduce items being damaged.

The most traditional use of this uber packaging is for packing breakable items during a home removal. Often purchased along with cardboard boxes, it is used to wrap small, fragile items such as ornaments or photo frames to prevent damage during transit. Larger items such as mirrors or television sets can also be wrapped in bubble wrap to reduce cracking or scratching during transportation. As previously mentioned, the size of the bubbles within the bubble wrap is important as it affects the shock absorption. Before you start packing your personal items for your house move, consider which size of bubble wrap is most suitable - small objects are best wrapped in small bubbles whilst larger items are better protected by larger bubbles as these offer greater protection. For items requiring extra protection, multiple layers of bubble wrap can be used.

With the advent of internet and home shopping, there has been a significant rise in the number of items being transported over both short and long distances. Previously, many companies used scrunched up newspaper or polystyrene beads within their packaging to protect items. However they have since moved to bubble wrap as it is not only more cost effective and better for the environment, but it also creates less mess.

It is not just companies who use bubble wrap in their packing. With the evolution of auction sites and other online personal sales channels, consumers are now also using bubble wrap to send their items to other people. This is primarily for the same reason as companies - to provide better protection, and ultimately fewer returns.

There is another less practical use of bubble wrap - the pleasure of popping it. Although you may find this amusing, it has been proven that popping bubble wrap alleviates stress. Similar to the 'stress ball', the process of popping bubble wrap re-focuses the mind, whilst the sound is one we associate with amusement. Whilst bubble wrap may entertain an adult for a few minutes, it can be used to entertain young children for much longer. It isn't just the popping noise that amuses them, but also the look and feel of the material itself. Being relatively transparent, it enables them to see shapes and colour through it, whilst the bubbles provide a unique texture.

Where To Buy Bubble Wrap
Since it's creation in 1957, bubble wrap has become widely available to purchase. It is available in large rolls ' sometimes up to 100m for use in industrial packing or moving house, or smaller sheets which are ideal for ad-hoc packing tasks. The width of bubble wrap rolls also varies depending on what you need it for ' generally from 300mm up to 1500mm is most widely available. You can now also get anti-static bubble wrap which prevents you getting charges whilst using it, and also prevents static discharge to enclosed items.