Bubble Wrap celebrates golden anniversary

One of America’s most irresistible pop icons is turning 50 on Monday.

Bubble Wrap, the packing material that people love to burst, was born in a garage in Hawthorne, N.J., in 1960. Engineers Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding originally planned to market it as wallpaper.

The décor idea fell flat and Bubble Wrap – a proper name, like Kleenex, Band-Aid and Crock Pot, that has come to be improperly used as a generic term for any air-filled shipping material – was born. Its original name was Air Cap.

Each year, manufacturer Sealed Air says it makes enough Bubble Wrap to stretch from the Earth to the moon and back. And every day, people who come in contact with it can’t stop themselves from either popping it by hand, stomping on it or rolling over it in an office chair.

The sheer joy people derive from popping the bubbles has made Bubble Wrap a household name and pop phenomenon. Last year, Bubble Wrap was given a Facebook page that now has more than 2 million fans.

To honor the anniversary, the Sealed Air Corp. is declaring Monday Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. The manufacturer also is making a limited run of golden Bubble Wrap.

Some of the quirkier uses people have found for Bubble Wrap include:

•Fruit protector – Place sheets of Bubble Wrap on the bottom of a refrigerator’s crisper compartment to protect fruit and vegetables from bruising. •Winterize pipes – Wrap pipes using Bubble Wrap and string or rubber bands to prevent freezing. •Windshield protector – Cover the glass with Bubble Wrap to prevent overnight ice buildup. •Camping tent buffer – Place a layer of Bubble Wrap on the ground before staking your tent. The layer will help block moisture and add a layer of padded comfort – not to mention a rude awakening when you roll over in your sleep. •Drink cozy – Use tape and Bubble Wrap to make a soda-“pop” can cozy that will keep your drink colder for longer. Athletic padding – Use it to protect knees, elbows or backsides when learning to skateboard, ski, bike or other fall-down activity. Down side – if you’re a klutz, everyone within earshot will know it.

By Julie Young