Can You Recycle Bubble Wrap?

Bubble wrap has been an extremely popular packaging material for over 60 years. It’s currently estimated that around 240,000 miles of bubble wrap are produced each year just in the UK — long enough to span from the top to bottom of the UK almost 400 times! 

With its unique design and pliability, it’s easy to see why it’s often chosen to offer versatile protection for valuable items of all shapes and sizes. While bubble wrap can protect products from damage during transit, it’s important to have an awareness of its impact on the environment. 

Keep reading to find out if you can recycle bubble wrap and learn more about the eco-friendly alternatives available on the current market.

What Is Bubble Wrap?

First created in 1957, “Bubble Wrap” –– its official product name back then –– has since been used to protect millions of shipments worldwide. 

So, where did it come from? It all started with IBM shipping heavy and expensive computers to customers via post. They needed proper protection for these important shipments, but the only packaging protection available was newspaper, sawdust and horsehair. All of which were wildly unsuitable. The thin sheets filled with pockets of air revolutionised the packaging industry, sending Bubble Wrap –– still a trademark of Sealed Air Corporation –– into the stratosphere.

What Is Bubble Wrap Made Of?

The trademarked product was innovative at the time of its conception. Sheets of bubble wrap are made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a form of plastic that’s highly flexible and often used for plastic films, sandwich bags and clingfilm. Each sheet holds hundreds and thousands of tiny sealed air pockets, which act as a protective barrier, shielding precious products from the usual bumps that packages experience during the shipping process.

Can Bubble Wrap Be Recycled?

Yes, it can! Bubble wrap is made from the same material as plastic carrier bags. It can be recycled at designated carrier bag recycling points located at waste management facilities and many larger supermarkets. You can’t put it in your regular recycling bin as it needs to be processed through a separate recycling facility. 

The reason bubble wrap can’t be recycled through local recycling programs is due to its high tensile strength, which makes it more likely to get caught in machines and can lead to costly damage to equipment. At the moment, standard recycling streams aren’t equipped to handle the material. 

However, when recycled at appropriate facilities, it can be repurposed into all kinds of cool products –– from clothing to garden furniture. 

Is Bubble Wrap Eco-Friendly?

Although it can be recycled, it isn’t biodegradable, meaning that it’ll be around for tens or hundreds of years after it’s been created.

From the latest technology to fine jewellery, bubble wrap has proven to be a reliable and versatile form of protection for all kinds of packages. But, in recent years, it’s fallen under scrutiny. The international online retail giant, Amazon, started using non-recyclable bubble wrap envelopes, which caused a media uproar. They later switched to more sustainable forms of paper and cardboard packaging after the heavy backlash.

But we’re still left with a problem: with so much bubble wrap being manufactured –– and a lack of recycling due to misinformation –– we’re contributing to a plastic waste pandemic, polluting oceans and adding to overflowing landfills.

Are There Any Alternatives to Bubble Wrap?

The good news is that there are now many eco-friendly alternatives to bubble wrap; explore some of the options below that are great for void fill and product protection:

	PuffPack   PuffPack is an amazing and environmentally friendly substitute. It’s specially engineered to obtain 50% better yield than flat paper, so you’ll be able to use less of it and still get perfect protection.  It’s made from 100% recycled paper and is 100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable. What’s not to like? Shop PuffPack Paper Void Fill
	EcoNutz “Packing peanuts” in the form of EcoNutz gives you another eco-friendly option that helps protect the environment and your packages. These are also 100% biodegradable and made from 100% recycled materials for maximum environmental protection.  EcoNutz won’t compromise on functionality either, securing your packages better than plastic sheets of air-filled pockets that, once popped, aren’t much use to anyone. Shop EcoNutz
	NestPack Inspired by nature, Nestpack is an eco-friendly alternative to bubble wrap. Featuring a pre-slit paper design, which creates five semi-joined paper strips that form a nest-like protective packaging that can be used as a top, bottom, and side fill.  It offers exceptional packing volume, and just one roll can produce the same as two bags of polystyrene chips. Did we also mention that it’s made from 100% recycled material and is completely compostable and biodegradable too? Shop NestPack
	Padded Envelopes If you’re sending smaller items like jewellery, a padded envelope could be a better choice than bubble wrap and a standard mailer. Jiffy padded envelopes are super strong and feature 100% recycled fibre padding, which expands with every use. There aren’t many packing materials you can say get better with age! When they start looking a little worse for wear, they’re fully recyclable. Shop Jiffy Padded Envelopes

What Else Can You Do with Bubble Wrap?

Bubble wrap can be used multiple times, and using it again doesn’t impact its recyclability; as long as the bubbles are still intact, you can keep utilising its pocket power. Store it aside for house moves, wrapping fragile gifts or simply for sending future packages.

If you’ve found yourself with an abundance of bubble wrap or don’t need to use it again, there are numerous ways it can be repurposed to extend its lifespan. From insulating your home to protecting your plants, bubble wrap can provide temporary yet effective insulation as long as all the bubbles are still intact. If you’ve already had your fun popping all the bubbles, it’s probably time to send it to be recycled and allow it to become useful to someone else.

Now that you know bubble wrap is recyclable, you should consider the environmental cost of using oil-based plastics to protect the parcels you send. With so many more eco-friendly bubble wrap alternatives on offer –– most of which are already made from recycled materials –– you can help save the planet with each package.

Want to send an eco-friendly package without it costing the earth? Packaging Supplies specialises in eco-friendly packaging alternatives that help protect the planet. Check out our bubble wrap alternatives, and start saving the environment with your shipments today.