If bubble wrap makes you think immediately of the immense satisfaction of popping bubbles, today is the day for you. 

Observed on the last Monday in January every year, Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day is only possible thanks to engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes who invented the product in 1957 in New Jersey. They sealed together two shower curtains, enclosing smatterings of air bubbles within, which they then tried to sell as textured wallpaper. Unsuccessful, they remarketed their invention as greenhouse insulation, until finally in 1961, bubble wrap’s protective qualities were discovered and, as we know, the rest is history.

Flash forward to the present and approximately 240,000 miles of bubble wrap are produced in the UK alone every year – that’s more than the distance between Earth and the moon!

Where does all that bubble wrap end up? Most of the time, landfill. 

While it’s a myth that bubble wrap can’t be recycled, it is true that it can’t be recycled at home in your wheelie bin. Instead, it has to be taken to special recycling points which can be found at most major supermarkets, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, The Co-op, and Waitrose to name a few. 

There are a multitude of fun, creative and useful ways the popular form of packaging can be reused before being recycled. 

Create Art

Bubble wrap can be used as a printing press. Cut out interesting shapes and designs from the material, apply paint to the surface and press onto paper or card. And voila! Now you have personalized art. It’s a great activity for getting kids involved and an inexpensive one too. 

Keep your Food Cold (and Warm)

Line food bags and containers with bubble wrap to insulate your food and maintain its temperature, whether it’s hot or cold. Bubble wrap is perfect for keeping your groceries cool if they’re not going into the fridge or freezer after a shopping trip and a great hack for picnics, too. 

Insulate Windows

As mentioned above, bubble wrap is a highly effective insulator thanks to the small pockets of air trapped within the bubbles which act as a barrier to the cold. To this day it is still used to insulate greenhouse windows in order to prevent excess heat loss. Why not use it protect your plants so they can continue thriving even in the winter months.

Protect your Plants

In the same vein, wrapping bubble wrap around outdoor plants can prevent frost from damaging them. You wouldn’t think it, but bubble wrap is an unlikely gardener’s friend!

Prevent Car Frost 

Leaving a sheet on your windscreen held in place by your wipers overnight prevents frost from forming on it. You have a frost-free windscreen in the morning and can jump in your car and drive off to wherever you need to be without having to deal with any of the faff.

Stress Relief

Last but not least, as we all know, bubble wrap is a great stress reliever. Start popping some bubbles and soon you will feel your stress alleviate. And it’s fun too, so what’s not to like!

While you’re here, if you need bubble wrap supplies…