Time to Burst Your Bubble? Paper Packaging is fast replacing Bubble Wrap!
, by Maeve Reidy, 4 min reading time
Whether unboxing a brand-new purchase or protecting belongings for moving house or storage, it’s likely that consumers have encountered plastic bubble wrap in one form or another. Though they may be fun to pop, these plastic products have a very serious environmental cost that needs to be addressed. It’s time to take action to replace plastic bubbles as the potential for pollution grows along with global e-commerce.
Fortunately, more sustainable alternatives to plastic bubble roll are readily available for businesses and consumers. ActivaWrap Paper provides the benefits of plastic bubbles with the additional benefit of being made of 100% recyclable and sustainable paper.
Which products require wrapping solutions?
Wrapping serves several key packaging purposes.
- Protection against scratches and surface abrasions
- Securing products in place, and protecting them from impact.
- Preserving secondary packaging
- Enhancing the unboxing experience
What makes wrapping different from void fill is the degree of surface protection that it provides to goods. Packaging materials are used to securely cover the entire surface of a product.
Void fill is very good at securing products in place and helping to cushion against shocks. It makes sense to include wrapping materials when a product requires additional protection against surface damage such as scratching or chipping,
Fragile products are often higher-value products, which makes the protection that wrapping affords even more desireable.
- Electronics
- Ceramics and pottery
- Handcrafted items and collectibles
- Antiques
Why Replace Plastic Bubbles with Paper Packaging?
Plastic bubble wrap are usually among the first products people think of when they consider how to wrap their valuables, but there are good reasons why it’s time to replace them with more sustainable paper.
The Market for Plastic Bubble Wrap is Growing.
Generally speaking, humans don't like change - "but that's the way we've always done it" is an often-repeated phrase. But are you really a sheep? If your friend told you to jump off the Cliffs of Moher would you do it without question?
Based on current usage, MarketWatch predicts that the market for plastic bubble wrap will grow annually by 4.8% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, fueled by expanded international trade and e-commerce.
It is a dangerous fallacy to think that business growth has to be tied to single-use plastics. Unless we change course towards more sustainable paper packaging, we are risking a future where there is more plastic than fish in the ocean by as early as 2050. With this in mind, the EU are working on regulations to reduce business plastic usage.
Plastic Bubbles can Cause Damage to Valuable Goods.
Ironically, products that people value and want to protect can be harmed by the well-intentioned application of plastic bubble wrap. Antiques and artwork in particular can be damaged by prolonged contact with plastic bubbles, leaving behind an imprinted pattern.
The science behind this damage is due to the chemical composition of flexible plastics, which contain plasticizers. The plasticizers can act as a solvent when coming in contact with certain metals, paints, or varnishes leading to unsightly damage.
ActivaWrap offers the sustainability benefits of paper along with the protection of a bubble. It’s the ideal solution to replace plastic bubbles when shipping valuables.
Paper stores flat, unlike plastic bubble rolls.
Without the air pockets, plastic bubble rolls are just thin plastic sheets. Therefore, the bubbles are created during production and shipped as expanded rolls that can be unrolled as needed. While lightweight, the product occupies quite a lot of space because of its puffed-up expansion.
Storing and shipping with a low-profile is another area where ActivaWrap Paper shines. Activa's cut surface expands when extended. This means that it can be stored flat and then gain height on-demand without the need for any inflation. Thanks to its low-profile, one pallet of ActivaWrap can be the equivalent of up to 9.8 pallets of plastic air bubbles, both equivalent to the amount needed to cover 5,880 square metres!
ActivaWrap doesn’t require Additional Cutting Tools, Tape, or Adhesives.
Activa’s honeycomb structure is designed to wrap securely without the need for tape. It tears off the roll easily without extra scissors or cutting blades. Overall, it’s a safer and more ergonomic process than cutting a plastic bubble sheet and securing it with adhesives. It can also allow employees to wrap more products, up to three times faster than plastic bubbles with fewer roll changes and the ability to bundle items together.
Paper can be more protective than plastic bubbles.
It’s a mistake to assume that plastic bubbles will provide the highest level of protection for wrapping products. In fact, ActivaWrap Paper was found to be up to 60% more protective when tested in common drop scenarios against plastic bubble wrap!
If your business is serious about bursting your bubble(wrap) and changing from plastic packaging, why not contact ShredPack to find out more about ActivaWrap ... or any other of our cost-saving, time-saving eco-friendly packaging solutions?!
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