Reusing and Recycling Bubble Wrap

Our top tips on packaging series continues with helpful hints on reusing your bubble wrap packaging.

3 reasons to reuse your bubble wrap

1)   As pressure on the environment and the need for the nation to economise grows, it’s now critical to conserve and reuse packaging.

2)   Reusing packaging is the best form of recycling, because it doesn’t require further use of energy, either in converting or transporting the packaging prior to use. It simply extends the life of your packaging.

3)   Thinking ahead to how your customer receives their delivery, reducing unnecessary packaging and making it easy for the customer to reuse their bubble wrap could have a positive impact on your environmental credentials

“As a specialist packaging supplies company we believe we have a duty to encourage Customers to give greater thought to the packaging they buy and make better use of the packaging materials they retain.”

How to reuse your bubble wrap

Bubble wrap packaging is the ideal, lightweight packing solution for smaller items. Hundreds of small air bubbles form a protective cushion that protects from shock and abrasion.

Small bubblewrap is extensively used in industry as general packaging, interleaving or void fill and is also used in the home for mail order parcels, packing boxes and moving house.

BioDegradable bubble wrap rolls are now available and this can help to eliminate land fill and litter issues surrounding plastic packaging. However, we should all still aim to reuse bubble wrap a number of times, before it is finally disposed of or recycled. Here’s how:

When you use bubble wrap packaging, think about the next user and make it easier for them to unravel, flatten and use again Avoid excessive use of packaging tape that will prevent the customer from being able to snip the tape and flatten the bubble packaging. Masking or other peelable tape could be used instead of standard polypropylene packing tape As you unwrap your item, try to avoid popping the bubbles, as this reduces the cushioning effect Keep spare bubble wrap away from dust and moisture, so it can continue to be used as clean protective packaging If your bubble wrap becomes stuck together or torn, or is an odd shape, then simply scrunch it up to provide void fill and provide packaging protection within boxes Substitute bubble wrap with recycled paper as void fill within boxes where possible, perhaps using waste paper from the office shredder

If you’re looking to dispose of bubble wrap, try and avoid sending it to landfill. Use plastic recycling schemes where available, but check whether polythene packaging or bubble wrap is permitted. Alternatively, you can pass on your bubble wrap, perhaps to your local school or college for an art project, or via an online auction site or local paper for people moving house.

Tagged as: Bubble, recycling, reusing, Wrap