Charlotte, NC – Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE) today celebrates its fifty-fifth anniversary since its founding as a company by Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes. 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 that 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. The packaging also excels in its ability to prevent product damage to fragile objects during transit, which is the most important aspect of its sustainability. 

Innovation at Sealed Air has continued over the years, bringing new standards of sustainability to the industries the company serves. In 1967, using Cryovac^® barrier shrink bags, boxed meat was introduced to the market, replacing the need to ship whole carcasses. This revolution saved energy and transportation costs by eliminating the shipment of fat, bones and trimmings. The vacuum packed product had a greater shelf life, significantly reducing waste and spoilage across the supply chain. Today, nearly 90% of all beef produced is shipped in boxes. 

The company’s Diversey^® brand has led the way in sustainability in the hygiene industry, and most recently was honoured by the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers programme for fulfilling its ten-year commitment to reduce CO2 emissions. 

Now, more than half a century later, the company founded on Bubble Wrap^® is a multinational corporation, with over 24,000 employees serving in 175 countries. The company continues to lead the industries it serves in innovation and sustainability, both in its own practices and by partnering with suppliers and customers to help them achieve their sustainability goals. Several Sealed Air locations will commemorate today’s anniversary by partnering with local communities as volunteers, as a way of thanking those communities for their support over the past fifty-five years.