If you are concerned about the health of our planet, you’re probably curious about how to cut your carbon footprint at home, at work, and in your life in general. This often means switching to organic, sustainable, locally-sourced, and recycled or recyclable products in order to avoid the pollution and waste that are part and parcel of most manufactured goods. And when it comes to your packing supplies, you’ll be happy to hear that Styrofoam peanuts and paper goods like cardboard boxes and packing materials can be recycled. Many different types of plastic are also eligible for the recycling process. But what about bubble wrap? Can it be recycled?Unfortunately, the polyethylene plastic that bubble wrap is made from does not qualify as a product that can be recycled in the traditional sense, which is to say, if you throw it in the can, it’s going to the dump. Some companies that sell bubble wrap allow you to send it back to them for some sort of recycling after it has been used, but you can only send in their specific products in such instances. But the only real requirement for recycling is that a product has a second life. And you don’t need it to be processed at a recycling center, melted down, and turned into something else for that to happen. You can find plenty of ways to recycle any bubble wrap that comes your way, whether it shows up in packages delivered to your door or you purchase it from Paper Mart.
Re-Using Bubble Wrap
Any time you end up with bubble wrap that has already been used, the first thing you’ll want to do is make sure it’s still in good condition. If it has been torn or the bubbles are popped, the quality of cushioning cannot be guaranteed. You can still use it for padding of a sort, but it might not provide you with the exemplary protection you need for fragile goods. If, on the other hand, your bubble wrap is in ship shape after going through shipping or other uses, there’s no reason not to recycle it on your own by finding other uses for it.
You can, of course, use it for shipping a second time, wrapping your delicate items up to send them out to friends, family members, or even business clientele. But you can also use it for storage, padding dishes (like fine China) that only come out for special occasions, just for example. And leftover bubble wrap is ideal when you’re packing up to move to a new home. You can also use it to line the produce drawers in your fridge, cushioning items like tomatoes that can easily become mushy from rolling around in the drawer. And the air trapped in the bubbles can act as an insulator. Put a few sheets in your canvas totes the next time you go to the grocery store to wrap up cold items while you run other errands.
Using Bubble Wrap for other Purposes
The truth is that you can find any number of ways to reuse bubble wrap, giving it a second life even though it can’t be recycled in the traditional sense. And when you find yourself in need of new bubble wrap, PaperMart.com has the products to meet every packing, storage, and shipping need.
Paper Mart Bubble Wrap
Anti-Static Air Bubble Wrapping: 3/16″
Economy Air Bubble Wrapping: 3/16″ X 3/8″
Economy Air Bubble Wrapping: 1/2″ X 1-1/4″
Air Bubble Wrapping: 1/2″ X 1-1/4″
Air Bubble Wrapping: 3/16″ X 3/8″
Air Bubble Wrapping: 5/16″ X 1″
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