Sealed Air expands Bubble Wrap brand with products made from 50% recycled plastic

27 Sep 2022 --- Sealed Air has added three items to its Bubble Wrap brand collection made from 30 or 50% recycled plastic waste. The new range utilizes “ultra-thin” (12.7 microns) film to decrease material usage and carbon emissions. 

“Thinner, lighter, stronger films increase product protection to reduce carbon emissions and waste associated with damage while also lowering material usage,” says Eric Van Der Kallen, EMEA platform manager for protective packaging solutions inflatables at Sealed Air. 

Adopting lightweight and recycled materials were inspired by aiding companies to be more environmentally sustainable. 

It’s a wrap on plastic 
The films made from 30% recycled materials include the Bubble Wrap brand AirCap LRT and the Bubble Wrap IB Recycled Content Films. The AirCap LRT comes in ready-inflated rolls, while the IB Recycled Content Films need to be inflated on-site by operators. Both are available in various bubble sizes to meet different wrapping needs.

The Bubble Wrap brand Fill-Air Extreme Efficiency Recycled Content Films are derived from a minimum of 50% recycled plastic. Of that 50%, 30% comes from third-party certified material collected from post-consumer waste and 20% from post-industrial recycled content. 

The Fill-Air Extreme Efficiency Recycled Content Films are inflated on demand, with a range of void fill cushion sizes.

Sealed Air continues its commitment to environmental packaging through the newest inclusions in its Bubble Wrap collection. “Utilizing recycled content in the films is another step forward in advancing packaging sustainability,” says Van Der Kallen. 

The company cited that consumers can use its products to protect items throughout supply chains such as omnichannel, e-commerce retail and fulfillment, in markets including health and beauty, consumer electronics and automotive.

Europe’s plan for recycling
The industry association, Plastics Europe, has called for a mandatory EU recycled content target for plastic packaging of 30% by 2030. The UK Plastic Pact aims to achieve a 30% average recycled content across all packaging. 

Sealed Airs’ new wrappings meet these demands, aligning with the UK and European plastic pacts.

The plastic reduction goals have trickled into consumer interests, with buyers increasing their awareness of single-use plastics and their environmental harm. Therefore, companies are catering to the trend and taking advantage of the monetary and environmental benefits of implementing recyclable materials. 

According to Innova Market Insights, 15% of EU consumers claim to have stopped using single-use plastics since the EU implemented its Single Use Plastics Directive in July last year. Moreover, 39% say they notice a gradual decrease in their single-use plastics usage.

“The use of recycled content reduces dependence on virgin resources and better fits with the goals of circular economies and customers keen to reduce environmental impact,” concludes Van Der Kallen. 

By Sabine Waldeck