Is Bubble Wrap Recyclable? 

Bubble wrap is a very popular form of packaging, being used for over 6 decades now. 

Because of the ease of design and how pliable it is, it offers a more versatile kind of protection for all sorts of packaging. 

It can protect products when transported, but you may also wonder what bubble wrap can do for your environment, and just how green it is. We’ll discuss the reality of the green nature of this below. 

So What is it? 

This is a product that was created all the way back in 1960, and essentially it is used to protect shipments. 

IBM was the first to use this since they needed something to protect the computers they had to ship back then, which were both big and expensive. It needed the right protection, but the problem is, the only packaging at the time was horsehair, sawdust, and newspaper, which of course wouldn’t work. 

This is a product that did change the Sealed Air corporation, sending them to the next level. It’s made up of plastic, with hundreds of little air pockets sealed within there. the pockets are a barrier that protects, keeping the products from bumps that normally happen during the process of shipping

Can it Be Recycled Though? 

You can! 

It can be thrown into a recycling bin just like every other product, and of course, it can be repurposed for anything from garden furniture to clothing. 

But the big thing to understand is while yes, it is recyclable, it is NOT biodegradable. So, unfortunately, if you recycle this, it will still be around for many years after the initial creation. 

But still, it’s pretty reliable, and many companies use this. However, it has fallen under some examination, especially since amazon of all places have started to use bubble wrap which aren’t recyclable, which caused major backlash, and of course, they changed back to sustainable packaging afterwards to help quell that. 

But the biggest problem as well is that there is still a lack of information on recycling, leading people to pollute the oceans with plastic and the like, overflowing the landfills and such too! 

So What Can You Do? 

With bubble wrap, you may want to start forgoing it for something more eco-friendly. 

But what though?  PuffPack is one of them, which offers a much better yield than mere paper, so you can use less and still get protection while still being made from recyclable paper, and that it’s also compostable and biodegradable. 

Packing peanuts are also another option, since they’re also made from recycled papers and the like, so if you don’t want to use bubble wrap period, there are options for this. It also won’t compromise the functionality of this either, since you’re still properly securing everything, and it definitely is much more useful than bubble wrap. After all, once they’re popped, they aren’t much of use to pretty much anyone, which kind of stinks. 

What Else to Do with Bubble Wrap

You can use bub le wrap to insulate the home, and also protect the plants.  However, this only works if the bubbles aren’t popped. 

If they are, it’s pretty much useless, so you’ll want to send it over to the recycling center so that it becomes something different, and something that can be useful of course, for the average person.

But with that being said, it’s still a great item! It does work well, and it offers a lot of packaging, but also understand that it isn’t the best option when it comes of course, to properly packaging your items.