Stuffed beside the terrible birthday gift your grandma mailed was always the one redemption: Bubble Wrap. That instantly amusing piece of packaging is losing its pop — literally.
Sealed Air, the company that created the material in 1960, introduced a version that will no longer pop, according to the Wall Street Journal. Instead, air will shift in columns of bubbles.
The new design comes in sheets, allowing more to be stored and shipped at one time — yes, packages of Bubble Wrap are shipped (perhaps insulted by packing peanuts). Companies using the new product will inflate the sheets using a custom pump provided by Sealed Air.
Sealed Air quelled pop-lovers’ concerns, tweeting that it will continue to make the traditional version. Other packaging companies produce similar products as well.
That didn’t stop the Internet from taking the announcement as a sign of doomsday.
If there is one thing that made us all human, it is our love for bubble wrap. From toddlers to seniors alike, the product made hugs better and provided endless possibilities for fun. There’s even a Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.
Again, the traditional version will remain. But if that goes away, there will always be the digital version.