Invented in the US in 1957, bubble wrap is made by heating a thin sheet of plastic film as it passes between perforated rollers. Air is blown through the holes in the rollers, to stretch half-dome bubbles in the sheet. Then a second layer of plastic is bonded underneath the sheet, to seal the air into individual bubbles.
Bubble wrap can be recycled at some facilities, but there are more environmentally friendly options. One alternative, for example, uses kraft paper that’s been stamped with a special pattern of slits, which allows it to be pulled into a honeycomb-like mesh that can be wrapped around fragile items.
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