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Bubble Film 101
The word plastic is derived from the ancient Greek term plastikós, meaning ‘shapable’ or ‘mouldable’. Plastics are capable of being moulded into different shapes when heated, a characteristic that has likely given this group of materials the name plastic.
Plastic is everywhere. We are so thoroughly surrounded that we hardly notice it. You might be surprised to learn, for instance, that today’s cars and planes are, by volume, about 50% plastic. More clothing is made from polyester and nylon, both plastics, than cotton or wool. Add this to the more obvious expanse of toys, household bric-a-brac and consumer packaging, and the extent of plastic’s empire becomes clear. It is the background material of modern life.
In 1957, two inventors named Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes were attempting to create a three-dimensional plastic wallpaper. Although the idea was a failure, they found that what they made could be used as a packing material. This is what we call bubble film today.
What is Bubble Film?
Bubble Film is Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a thermoplastic made from the monomer ethylene. It was the first grade of polyethylene, produced in 1933 by Dr John C. Swallow and M.W Perrin. It is quite soft to the touch, flexible and tough. It also has excellent resistance to dilute and concentrated acids, alcohols, bases, and esters.
Can it be recycled?
Yes, it can. However, it needs to be clean and free of any contaminants like food scraps, adhesive labels, sticky tapes etc. LDPE Bubble films are commonly referred to as soft plastics. You can easily scrunch these films with your hand. Our bubble films are made from LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene), recycle code 4. Our standard clear bubble films and bags have 10% recycled content. We also make our green coloured bubble range with 30% recycled content.
Recycling Options
1: Commercial Recycling
There are companies who will recycle plastics from commercial or industrial sites. For a list of these companies simply click on the link below.
https://www.plastics.org.nz/environment/recycling-disposal/industrial-recycling
2: Post Consumer Waste
We are becoming increasingly aware of the issues surrounding plastic use. There are a growing number of initiatives to recycle post-consumer waste. (Post-consumer is the collection and recycling of plastic articles after being used by a consumer). There are a growing variety of collection schemes, community-based recycling, consumer drop off centres and public place recycling schemes often branded under Love NZ. The links below are useful for you to find out what’s available in your area.
https://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/
https://www.packagingforum.org.nz/soft-plastics-recycling-programme/
Our Government
Our government is playing a fundamental part of rethinking policies regarding plastics. We’re all familiar with the ongoing programme of banning certain types of plastics. For more information about our governments current thinking, here are a couple of useful links.
https://environment.govt.nz/publications/plastic-products-banned-from-july-2023/
https://www.pmcsa.ac.nz/topics/rethinking-plastics/changing-our-relationship-with-plastics/
https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/waste/plastic-phase-out/
SOURCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-density_polyethylene
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_wrap
https://www.pmcsa.ac.nz/topics/rethinking-plastics/
https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/waste/plastic-phase-out/