The Amazing, Accidental History of Bubble Wrap
 
The invention of bubble wrap revolutionized the shipping process and helped launch today’s billion-dollar Ecommerce industry—but it was never intended to. As part 2 of our series celebrating National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day this month (January 2021) , today we present you with the strange, surprising history of an iconic product that started life as a failed experiment.
 
Groovy Beginnings
 
In 1957, the Beat generation was just beginning to usher in an age of creative experimentation. Just like music and fashion, interior design was also getting a groovy new makeover, and it wasn’t unusual to see walls outfitted in vibrant patterns and natural materials such as bamboo. It’s amidst this context that inventors Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes set out to create a unique, textured wallpaper out a popular modern material, plastic. (Although prototypical plastic had existed since the late 1800s, new chemical technologies in the ‘60’s led to an explosion in plastic manufacturing throughout the decade.)
 
After placing two pieces of plastic shower curtain through a heat-sealing machine, the two men were surprised by the results: a single sheet of film with air bubbles trapped inside. While the wallpaper idea would never take off, the inventors knew that their product could be used for something. The trick would lie in finding out what.
 
Patents & Patience
 
Fielding and Chavannes promptly filed six patents for the manufacturing process they had used to create “Air Cap,” as they called it, as well as the lamination equipment and materials. They then put their heads together to brainstorm a useful application for the material. Though they came up with over 400 ideas, only one—greenhouse insulation—ultimately made it off the drawing board, and the reaction from consumers was lukewarm. For the time being, Bubble Wrap remained a solution in search of a problem.
 
Big Break
 
As Fielding and Chavannes scratched their heads in New Jersey, up in Armonk, New York, a company called International Business Machines had just launched one of the world’s first mass-produced business computers. The delicate device, called the 1401, would need to be transported across the country without sustaining any damage, and the preferred packaging material of the time—balled-up newspaper—wasn’t quite up to scratch. Bubble Wrap was the answer to IBM’s problem. It was cheap; it was clean (newspaper often left ink smudges on package contents); and it adept at protecting the 1401’s fragile components. Once IBM—which, by 1960, was a powerful business entity—signed on, it seemed like only a matter of time until Bubble Wrap skyrocket to the top of the shipping market.   
 
The Dunphy Era

As the ‘60s crept into the ‘70s, Bubble Wrap rose steadily in popularity and household usage. Despite this, though, and in spite of IBM’s seal of approval, Bubble Wrap still hadn’t turned a significant profit for its parent company, Sealed Air Corporation. Part of the problem lay in the interests of its founders: Chavannes and Fielding were engineers, not businessmen, and both were much more interested in making inventions than in selling them.
It was T.J. Dermot Dunphy, who became CEO of Sealed Air in 1971, who helped turn Bubble Wrap and its sister products into money-making machines. An entrepreneur by training, Dunphy helped Sealed Air stabilize its operation and diversify its product base. For example, he was able to expand the brand into the swimming pool industry, popularizing Bubble Wrap pool covers that were able to keep the water beneath them warm. By the time he left the firm in 2000, Dunphy had successfully built Sealed Air’s sales up to $3 billion annually. And Bubble Wrap, of course, had become a name so ubiquitous, most of today’s consumers aren’t even aware that it’s a brand.

Bubble Wrap Today

Today, Sealed Air has relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, and devotes most of its time and business to food product packaging. But even though Bubble Wrap provides less than 10% of Sealed Air’s revenue, that hasn’t stopped company leadership from considering a name change. “’Sealed Air’ does lack a bit of marketing pizazz,” company CEO Bill Hickey told Forbes in 2012. A name like “Bubble Wrap, Inc.” would no doubt bring instant name recognition.
Naming aside, there’s no doubt that Bubble Wrap is here to stay, as it’s now used to protect billions of products each year. It has also become a staple of modern society, repurposed as everything from wedding dresses to therapeutic treatment tools. Sadly, though, no one has tried using it for its first intended purpose, wallpaper—at least to our knowledge.
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Order Bubble Wrap for Richmond, VA | Richmond Business Packaging Materials
 
Looking for bubble wrap or any other packaging material in Richmond, VA? Stop by SSI Packaging today! In addition to bubble wrap, we offer a wide range of packaging and shipping materials to keep your products safe, including cardboard boxes, foam cushioning, and packing tape. Feel free to stop by and see us, or check out our product inventory online. 

Although, by January, you have doubtlessly taken down your Christmas lights and recycled your tree, the festivities aren’t over. That’s right, January 25th is National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, which Americans celebrate on the last Monday of January. We here at SSI Packaging love the bubbly stuff, even though we have to save the fun of popping it for our customers. In celebration of bubble wrap, here are 6 facts about it that may surprise you. 

Bubble Wrap was originally marketed as wallpaper 
 
Bubble Wrap’s original incarnation was, believe it or not, wallpaper. This isn’t so crazy when one considers the context of the late 1950s. As more and more household gadgets entered the public market, it became quite normal for designers to experiment with futuristic-seeming textures, materials, and patterns. In 1957, an engineer named Al Fielding and a Swiss inventor named Marc Chavannes teamed up to create a three-dimensional, raised wallpaper. To test their idea, they glued two shower curtains together, leaving pockets of air throughout. Ultimately, the wallpaper idea never took off…but luckily, the inventors managed to find a great buyer for their product, in a small manufacturing company called IBM. 

Bubble Wrap® is a brand name 

Like Chapstick, Kleenex, and Crock-Pots, Bubble Wrap is actually a brand that’s dominated the market so well and for so long that it’s become a ubiquitous term for all items like it. Fielding and Chavannes themselves filed several patents for Bubble Wrap in 1960, and created a company to sell it, called Sealed Air Corporation. More than 60 years later, Sealed Air is still going strong, and its star product has been embraced around the world as a lightweight, yet protective shipping material. Writers beware: if it doesn’t come from Sealed Air, it’s “laminated cushioning material.”

It has incredible protective qualities 
But just how protective is it? In 2000, Sealed Air itself decided to answer that question via the rather unconventional method of dropping a pumpkin onto a bubble wrap landing pad. The 815-pound pumpkin, nicknamed “Gourdzilla”, survived the 35-foot fall completely intact—for a few seconds, anyway. “The pumpkin survived the drop,” said then-CEO William Hickey. “The problem is that it bounced.” 
Popping Bubble Wrap is scientifically good for your health 
For many people—or, dare we say, most people—popping Bubble Wrap ranks among one of life’s greatest pleasures. And beyond being fun, there’s some scientific evidence that it’s actually good for our mental health, too. In 1992, psychology professor Kathleen M. Dillon conducted a study wherein a trial group of undergraduate students were given two sheets to pop, while a control group remained pop-less. At the end of the study, the pop-ers reported that they felt more calm, energized, and alert than they had been before, while the pop-less control students reported feeling more or less the same. Dillon theorized that bubble wrap popping, like finger tapping and other sensory habits, might be a way anxious humans find a way to relieve muscle tension while simultaneously freezing in their tracks. 
It sent a military base into lockdown
When most of us picture Bubble Wrap bubbles, we imagine the small, pill-sized kind which make relatively quiet pops. But Sealed Air manufactures its product in all kinds of sizes, and it was sandwich-bag-sized bubbles that ended up sending a New Mexico Air Force base into lockdown. After a civilian employee stomped on several “air pillows” in order to flatten them, another civilian mistook the sound for gunfire, and called 911. Base Director of Public Affairs, Eric Elliott, noted that the caller’s response was doubtlessly influenced by a mass shooting which had occurred in San Bernadino, California, earlier that week. In any case, all was well that ended well, and local authorities were appreciative for the unplanned emergency. “We got a good exercise out of it,” Elliot said. 
Get bona-fide Bubble Wrap in Richmond, VA 
It’s safe to say that no packaging material has brought more joy to consumers than Bubble Wrap. Whether you need a roll to protect some fragile materials during shipping, or to simply relieve some stress, SSI Packaging has what you need—real, authentic Bubble Wrap made by its original manufacturer, Sealed Air. We also offer a wide range of packaging and shipping materials such as cardboard boxes, bubble mailers, foam cushioning, and packing tape. If you live in or near Richmond, Virginia, stop by and see us, or check out our product inventory online.  

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Earth Day 2020 is something we will all remember, even if we're a little confused on which day today is.  With most of the world's population observing stay-at-home orders, we're seeing an amazing impact on the environment.  The canals in Venice, Italy are crystal clear, toxic gas levels have had a sharp decline, and pollution in major cities and remote villages have been replaced with clear skies.  In a way, the corona-shutdown has given the Earth a much needed reset. 

While the environmental impacts of the corona-shutdown is great for Mother Nature, it has also had major impacts on businesses and global economies.  Some companies have closed and may never open again while others are thriving like never before.  The thing about the American economy is that challenging times often give birth to innovative solutions from entrepreneurs and business leaders. We are already seeing factories pivot from things like clothing production and car manufacturing to high-volume mask and ventilator production.  New innovations are already on the market like gadgets that let you open doors and use ATMs without actually touching anything to new methods of supply-chair production and delivery.

As new innovations develop, SSI Packaging is here to help solve your packaging and shipping needs while providing eco-friendly solutions that help protect the environment.  Our eco-friendly packaging supplies can help continue the healing of the Earth while delivering the much needed goods and services needed around the globe.  For example, our boxes are 100% recyclable and, even better, reusable.  We have bubble wrap, loose fill (packing peanuts), kraft paper, and shredded paper solutions that can protect your products in shipping and transportation while being environmentally conscience.  

If your business needs reliable eco-friendly packaging and shipping supplies, we're here to help.  Our Richmond, VA warehouse is stocked with thousands of eco-friendly packaging supplies that are ready for curbside pickup.  Just call one of our packaging specialists at 804.649.1111 for curbside pickup or order online at www.ssipackaging.net and we will ship it to you right away.  ​

Bubble wrap is very practical for packaging, but hey, let's just say what everyone is thinking... it's just fun to pop too!  As part of National Bubble Wrap Day we wanted to share this short video about how Sealed Air Corporation actually makes Bubble Wrap.  It's actually, pretty fun to watch.

Of course, if you'd like to order some Bubble Wrap to protect your valuable products or you just want to go on a popping bing, give us a call at 804-649-1111.

If you’ve ever had to prepare a few bags for a trip you know how stressful packing can be. You want to make sure you bring the right things, that your items are organized, and that you don’t forget anything! This confusion is amplified when you’re moving to a new place. The mess of packing and managing things during a big move can be overwhelming to some people. Hopefully these tips can help you get ready for moving day!

1) Organize beforehand
 
Before you begin, make a checklist of everything you might need during the move. You will want to prepare by getting a variety of materials and items to facilitate your move. To protect your things you will want protective foam, bubble wrap, loose fill, moving blankets and floor protection. It’s also important to gather a variety of boxes like wardrobe boxes, hand-hold boxes, and file boxes to suit all of your packing needs. Lastly, what goes on the outside of the box matters just as much as what you put inside. We’ve all had the experience of the bottom of a box falling out because it was not taped properly. Be sure to gather the right kinds of packing tape to prevent this from happening, and also labels and markers so that you can label your packages.
 
Some other techniques to organize before hand can help you save time and limit stress during your move. Create a moving file that will hold all-important documents related to the move like hotel reservations or the realtors contact information. Keep this file in a space where it will not get mixed into the things going into your moving boxes. Make sure you accurately document everything, and take this moment to capture photos of complicated electronic setups, like the back of your TV for example. This way you wont wonder how to put things back together when you’re settling into your new place.
 
2) Get rid of things you don’t use
 
This tip can be difficult to follow for the packrats among us, but it’s worth it. Take the few weeks before moving to analyze how much you use everything you own, and sell anything that you haven’t used in over a year. You can also donate unwanted clothes, shoes or electronics to donation centers to lighten your load and help others in the process.  
 
Part of this cleansing process will also include food in the weeks leading up to your move. Try to eat up anything in the house that you don’t want to drag with you. An in the week directly before your move, don’t buy lots of perishable items. If your budget allows it, try to eat most of your meals outside of the home to reduce the amount of food that you’ll have to throw away on moving day. Take advantage of your empty fridge by defrosting it, saving you messy cleanup later on during your move.
 
3) Pack smart
 
Begin by organizing your belongings into categories; the general rule is to pack up one room at a time. This way you will find it easier to unpack and stay organized once you arrive to your new place. Another tip is to try to begin packing at least a few things a couple of weeks before hand. One box a night is much more manageable than packing the whole house during a long weekend.
 
Remember those materials you gathered earlier? This is when they come in handy. Having a variety of boxes on hand will help you while you pack, and you can use specific types of boxes for certain items. For example, your hand-hold boxes are ideal for the heaviest items because they are sturdy and give you a good grip. You should pack the heaviest items on the bottom of your boxes, and pay close attention to the positions of your items. Bubble wrap, kraft paper and foam will fill in any extra spaces making a snug fit for your valuables.
 
 
 
SSI has you covered on moving day! You can order everything you need for the big day on our site, and if you’re in a hurry you can drop by our RVA warehouse to grab what you need. Are you moving a lot of stuff? We even offer pallets of moving boxes, and we can deliver them right to your location. Call us today to speak to a packaging expert at 804-649-1111 

If you’ve ever had to make a big move you know how stressful planning, packing and shipping your things can be. Making sure that your items arrive to their destination in one piece can be difficult when there are so many unknown variables involved in the process.  When shipping glassware, factors like clumsy movers or bumpy highways can have a big impact on delicate items. Learning how to pack up your glassware correctly can prevent any nasty surprises when you’re unboxing after your move.
 
To begin, you’re going to need to select some boxes. Make sure you pick at least double layer corrugated cardboard boxes because the additional layers will add stability to your package. You could also go to grocery stores and ask if they have divided boxes, which are like normal cardboard boxes but the inside is segmented into sections. The layers of cardboard will separate your items, protecting them even further. You should also take the size of the box into consideration. If you pack a big box with lots of glassware, it will become pretty heavy which increases the risk of bumps and drops. Choose medium sized boxes instead to make sure you’re using space efficiently, but not overdoing it.
 
Before packing your box cover the bottom with a thick layer of material. You can use Kraft paper, sheets, newspaper or dishrags; the key to this step is making sure the layer is thick enough to cushion your glassware. If you decide to use fabric to cushion the bottom of the box it can work well, as long as you make sure it is layered enough. And if you use old newspapers for this purpose keep in mind that you’ll have to wash the glasses after they arrive at your new home because oftentimes the print can transfer onto glassware.
 
To wrap your items, use alternating layer of packing paper and bubble wrap. Wrap the item in a layer of paper and then one to two layers of bubble wrap and secure the wrapping with a piece of tape. If you have glasses with fragile stems like wine glasses you should always wrap the stem first, and wrap the glasses one at a time rather than in pairs. This helps to make sure that the most easily breakable part of the glass is sufficiently protected.  Your most breakable glasses should be packed on top, meaning they are placed into the box last.
 
Now you should fill the spaces in between your items with filling, whether it is packing peanuts (loose fill) or more layers of paper. After adding extra cushioning to the top layer of your box, you are all set to seal it. It would be a good idea to try to shake the box to make sure there are no big gaps left to fill. You can choose to tape the box closed, or to place it in an entirely different and larger box, which will give it even more reinforcement. Just make sure to fill the extra space with more materials if this is your desired option.
 
 
Whether you are shipping family heirlooms or the wine glasses that you used at your wedding ceremony, it’s sure that you want your items to arrive in one piece. For all of your shipping needs you can turn to SSI Packaging Group. We are dedicated experts in packaging, specializing in personalized service. Call us at (804) 649-1111 to speak with a representative or view our products to find out more. 

Keeping your shipments safe from damage during transport is extremely important. According to recent studies the number one complaint among transportation managers was damaged goods. Although you might hope that the people in charge of shipping your cargo will treat it very carefully, the reality is that many times deliveries are rushed and corners are cut- incurring damages. To make sure that your shipments arrive intact, try these methods to fortify your packaging process.
 
Block and Brace Shipping
Block and brace shipping is a way to keep goods secured during transit, reducing the risk of excessive movement and damaged cargo. Packages that have been placed into shipping containers can slide around if they are unsecured. Blocking and bracing is a process that reduces the shifting of packages from the front of the shipping container to the back. To do this, metal or wooden beams are placed at strategic points within the shipping container in order to hold items in place.  If you are shipping a product with wheels you need to first keep the wheels stabilized and prevent them from spinning. You need to make sure these bracing systems are locked to the container as securely as possible and ensure that the braving systems do not allow for any movement of the cargo they hold.
 
Void Fill
Void fill is any type of cushioning that is added to your package with the intention of protecting your goods while they are in transit. Void fill should be used in cases when your products are fragile, if there is excess space in the package, if they heavy, or if your product has sharp corners that could be bent or broken during shipment. Typically used in corrugated boxes, void fill has many different options that serve a variety of functions. Some examples of void fill options would be packaging paper, inflatables, loose fill or newsprint paper. Packaging paper is used to fill empty space, protect edges or corners, or to fully protect the product. The protective qualities vary depending on the thickness, strength and resilience of the type of paper that you select. Similar to packaging paper is newsprint paper, which is thinner and generally well suited to provide light protection. Loose fill is convenient and very easy to use; these components are made from expanded polystyrene and can be added to a box to fill in any extra spaces.
 
Surface Protection
Surface protection can be used to protect a wide variety of products, such as painted car parts, mirrors, or anything else with a delicate surface. Surface protectors generally are designed to protect edges, and prevent shock or compression. Bubble wrap, packing foam and protective film are all types of surface protection that work in several different ways. Bubble wrap is a light film that can be supplied in sheeted forms, in pouches, or in rolls. Packing foam is elastic, flexible and water repellent material that offers very good cushioning properties. Protective film is generally used to prevent scuffs and scratches, and can be removed without leaving a residue even after long-term use.
 
These products and techniques are sure to help your shipments arrive safely to their destination. Having been in the packaging business for over 40 years, SSI Packaging Group understands the need for cost effective and quality packaging. Our premium products help your shipments get from point A to point B. For more information or assistance on how to protect your items in transit feel free to contact us at 804.649.1111.

​Typically when it becomes time to ship an item you are faced with a variety of considerations. You need to think about the size of your item, the distance it will go, how much it weighs and how it is shaped. These factors can help you determine what kind of container to ship your item in and the materials it should be made from. When faced with these choices you can decide between boxes and mailers. The intricacies between these two options are broken down in this post. 

​Corrugated Boxes
To ship bigger, bulkier items corrugated boxes are recommended because they are designed to protect items from bursting, crushing or puncturing the boxes when in transit. Corrugated cardboard boxes are strong and lightweight, made from layers of Kraft paper, a type of paper that was designed to be resistant to damage. Kraft paper is commonly made out of pine that has been pulped and processed. There is also a type of paper that is often used for the process called Test paper. Test paper is resilient yet has been made from recycled materials is also a reliable and sometimes less expensive option. Either types of this strong paper is processed in a facility and then crimped on a giant machine called a corrugator.

​For the typical corrugated box that is single wall, two layers of flat paper sandwich between them one layer of paper that has been crimped. When purchasing corrugated cardboard boxes generally this will be the most widely available option that you will see, however there do exist two other types of corrugated cardboard that have been designed with varying levels of strength in mind. Double wall corrugated cardboard consists of two pieces of crimped paper, which are glued together by one ply of non-fluted (or, not-crimped) paper or cardboard. The exposed outer surfaced are then covered with one piece of paper respectively. If the items that you chose to ship are especially heavy and you think they would need extra reinforcement, triple wall cardboard is the best solution. Triple wall corrugated cardboard is similar in its construction to double wall cardboard, with three plies of fluted paper instead of two. These layers of paper are held together by two pieces of paper or cardboard, and the outer surfaces are each covered with one ply of paper or cardboard. This extra layer provides additional support, perfect for large and bulky items.

Mailers
If your items are small and lightweight, resilient to shipment and are of varying degrees of fragility you can choose to ship with mailers. Bubble mailers are envelopes that are made from protective bubble wrap, and are designed to cushion and protect your items from damage during transit. In a similar vein, padded mailers are paper envelopes that include a layer of padding on the inside, so that they can lessen the impact of rough transport. Both of these types of mailers are efficient in protecting your items, however oftentimes you can find padded mailers made from recycled materials, which could be a benefit to your business if you are seeking ways to be more eco-friendly. Poly mailers are flat mailers made from durable polyethylene film, which means they are moisture resistant and lightweight. They are a great choice for e-commerce sellers because of their lower price point, small size and durability. Paper mailers are also lightweight, and are often made from renewable materials and are able to be recycled post shipment. However paper mailers are not weatherproof and can be a little bit more expensive than poly mailers, which tend to be cheaper because they are easier to produce. Finally, if you find yourself shipping items that need to retain their shape during shipment like photos or diplomas, your best possibility is flat mailers because they are rigid and retain their shape during shipping.

​Whether you want mailers or boxes, SSI Packaging Group has every necessity to get your shipment out the door. We specialize in providing personalized service and a variety of options for any of your packaging needs. Call us at (804) 649-1111 to speak with a representative or view our products to find out more.