National Bubble Wrap Day (also known as National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day) on the last Monday in January recognizes a fascinating piece of invention.
Today, bubble wrap’s primary purpose is to protect fragile items either in shipping or storage. Of course, people also take enjoyment from popping the bubbles in bubble wrap, too.
However, when two engineers created bubble wrap, the use as packaging didn’t pop into their minds right away. Marc Chavannes and Alfred Fielding first sealed two shower curtains together in 1956 in the town of Hawthorne, New Jersey.
This technique created a smattering of air bubbles. The two engineers initially thought their creation would make a great wallpaper! However, sales for the wallpaper never materialized. So, Chavannes and Fielding moved to sell the product as greenhouse insulation.
The product was originally named Air Cap and produced by the Sealed Air Corporation which was founded in 1960. In 1961, the product evolved into the Bubble Wrap we know today when it protected IBM’s 1401 computer when it started shipping. Sealed Air Corporation trademarked Bubble Wrap and has been filling shipping needs ever since.
