Sealed Air celebrates 55th anniversary

Sealed Air Corporation recently celebrated its 55th anniversary since its founding as a company by Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes in 1960.

The two inventors set out to create a new wall covering by laminating two plastic sheets with air bubbles between them. Although the invention never caught on as interior decor, the two men discovered their new material’s lightweight and insulating properties were very useful—first as greenhouse insulation and then as the packaging material we now know as Bubble Wrap. Fielding and Chavannes founded Sealed Air Corporation with Bubble Wrap as the company’s signature brand.

From the start, Bubble Wrap was truly revolutionary, both as a product and a value proposition. Bubble Wrap was one of the first sustainable packaging materials, allowing fragile goods to be shipped with smaller volume and reduced weight compared to earlier materials such as wadded paper.

In 1967, using Cryovac barrier shrink bags, boxed meat was introduced to the market, replacing the need for shipping whole carcass meats. This revolution saved energy and transportation costs, by eliminating shipment of fat, bones and trimmings. The vacuum packaged product had greater shelf life with significant reduction in waste and spoilage across the supply chain. Today, nearly 90% of all beef produced is now shipped via boxes.

Now, more than a half a century later, the company founded on Bubble Wrap is a multinational corporation, with more than 24,000 employees serving in 175 countries.