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Fact #32

Bubble Wrap Started Out as Wallpaper

Bubble wrap began when two shower curtains were stuck together

Justin Lee, Dumb Game Lab ·

Bubble Wrap Started Out as Wallpaper
Photo: User Consequencefree on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Short answer In 1957 two engineers sealed shower curtains together to trap air bubbles. They failed to sell it as wallpaper before it found its place as packaging.

Bubble wrap inside a parcel box. But it did not start out as packaging.

In 1957 in New Jersey, two engineers sealed two shower curtains together. Air bubbles got trapped in between.

The two tried to sell it as wallpaper. It didn't sell.

YauA room walled in bubble wrap would never be boring

Next they sold it as greenhouse insulation. That didn't take off either.

Packaging packed with tiny air pockets.
Photo: 알 수 없음, Public domain

Packaging packed with tiny air pockets. Only in 1961 did people notice it protects goods.

IBM 1401The computer first shipped wrapped in it

YauA failed wallpaper ended up protecting computers

Watch it as a short

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Bubble Wrap

Photo credits

  • Bubble Wrap.jpg, User Consequencefree on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
  • Puchipuchi.jpg, 알 수 없음, Public domain (source)

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