We all know the joy of getting a package in the mail. Whether you’ve ordered something for yourself, or are receiving something from a thoughtful friend, there’s something else in that box that provides excitement and joy for all the senses: an endorphin release that comes along with the satisfying feeling and sound of popping bubble wrap.
Do you love bubble wrap as much as we do? Perhaps you love it so much that you hoard it to keep at your desk as a stress-reliever on tough days, or perhaps you share the joy with your pets and let them crawl on it to pop the bubbles, or maybe you love it so much that you want to swim in sheets of it after a tough work out? No?
What would you do if you had enough bubble wrap to wrap your entire body in it? It’s possible the employees at the bubble wrap factory have the best job on Earth. They were able to answer this very question. From sumo battles to paintball competitions, to racing scooters on a runway of bubble wrap and jousting with bubble wrap paddles, only one employee gained enough points to win the ultimate bubble wrap trophy.
But popping bubble wrap isn’t just something to kill time at the factory or to reduce stress. Bubble wrap was first made in 1957 to help secure packaging. Perry Mason, hula hoops, slinkys, Sputnik, American Bandstand, I Love Lucy, the Cat in the Hat, and Little Richard were also popular when bubble wrap made it’s first appearance that year. It was also the peak of the baby boomer years, which also was a time of increased entrepreneurialism and creative business pursuits in the land of the free and home of the brave.
Have you ever wondered how bubble wrap is made? First, small plastic pellets are vacuumed into an extruder that reaches over 500 degrees to create a sheet of film. Next, the film is put through rollers and honey-comb shaped cylinders. While the film is cooling, it forms one larger piece resulting in a big sheet of bubble wrap. The big sheet is perforated according to different sizes and prepared for resale. It goes through a final series of quality checks before being sent out to stores and consumers.
Looking for an endorphin-release that is practical, cheap and fun for all ages? We have two words for you: bubble wrap.