Today’s bubble wraps are used to protect items during transport. But when it was born, that was not its purpose.
Think back, when you were a kid, when someone bought new things at home, you immediately opened the box with an eager mood. It’s not that you are interested in that item, but basically because it contains this divine item.
Surely anyone has ever squeezed a bubble foam like this, right?
Those are the legendary bubble wrap , or bubble wrap that everyone loved as a kid. Even now, many people can’t get rid of the habit of touching and squeezing the bubbles inside.
Nowadays, foam pads are used a lot when transporting goods. They contain air, forming a very effective cushion to protect goods and products so that they are not damaged on impact.
However, perhaps many people already know this information. But the purpose of this sponge is sure to be known by very few people.
Nowadays, foam pads are used a lot when transporting goods.
Indeed! The history of bubble wrap dates back to 1957, invented by two Swiss engineers Alfred Filding and Marc Chavannes. However, their original purpose was to create a wallpaper with a rough surface, not as smooth as usual, but outstanding.
Sure enough, by gluing 2 layers of shower curtains together, they got a wallpaper with a rough and prominent surface, but… didn’t sell to anyone.
Bubble Wrap as wallpaper?
Incredibly, Fielding and Chanvannes turned it into an insulation product for greenhouse nurseries. Although the invention is effective, it still can’t be sold to anyone.
However, three years later, the invention suddenly became “the goose that lays golden eggs” , and the person who did it was Frederick W. Bowers – marketing officer of Sealed Air. The cause stems from October 5, 1959, when the technology giant IBM announced the new 1401 computer.
Bowers then came up with the idea of using the other type of wallpaper as a cushion, helping to protect the computer during transportation. And he was successful: IBM began buying air-foam pads to protect not only the 1401 computer, but many of the company’s other fragile products.
Thanks to that, Sealed Air gradually became a giant company. Today, the company has annual sales of up to billion. In which, 10% of revenue comes from Bubble Wrap inflatables .