WASHINGTON — A secondary pleasure of receiving a package in the mail is disappearing, silently.
The company which popularized bubble wrap is introducing a new packing material that doesn’t pop when squeezed between thumb and fingers.
For decades, young people and adults have enjoyed the addictive, satisfying pop of a good squeeze, or the disappointing puff when pressing a bubble wrap dud.
Sealed Air Corp., which invented Bubble Wrap in 1957, has come up with a new plastic material to protect items in transit, called iBubble Wrap.
iBubble Wrap isn’t inflated until it reaches its destination.
Once the large rolls are received, retailers and other customers will use a special pump to inflate the bubbles, but those bubbles won’t pop when squeezed.
The new, flatter wrap is less bulky, enabling the company to cut shipping costs.
Other companies are expected to continue to manufacture poppable wraps.
It’s not quite the same, but you can pop this Virtual Bubble Wrap.
