A year ago we moved across the country, an endeavor that required A LOT of bubble wrap. We kept it and used it recently for a smaller move within the same city, but now we’re done moving for awhile so we’re pondering what to do with our sea of plastic bubbles. Here are five ideas.
Keep it. Even if you aren’t an active eBay seller, bubble wrap comes in handy for shipping anything even semi-fragile or making your own padded envelopes. It’s also great to bring to yard sales and flea markets for wrapping up delicate treasures. Or take it to the grocery store for insulating frozen foods or meats during the car ride home on particularly hot days.
Recycle it. If your curbside recycling doesn’t take bubble wrap, you can check whether you can donate it to your nearest mailbox store for them to reuse.
Get crafty. Make bubble wrap printed art or wrapping paper (see a how-to on daisy yellow). Make curtains or shower curtains. Make bubble wrap “stained glass” windows (these are also probably great for providing insulation).
Insulate your plants. Even popped bubble wrap is useful for protecting your plants from cold and frost. There’s a bubble wrap greenhouse how-to on BBC Gardner’s World, but you could also create a simple tent or cover for plants and bushes during the winter months.
De-stress. Keep some sheets of bubble wrap by your desk at work or in your car. We all know that pop, pop, popping can soothe the soul during times of trouble.
(Image: Sarah Rainwater)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Freecycle
view Daily Nuance's profile
list it on craigslist for free (or if you're in a bad state for some dough...) and let someone else take it for their upcoming move. it's best use is its intended one, and I can't imagine any reason not to use "used" bubble wrap.
view amt230's profile
Put it up on Craigslist ---I gave mine to a woman who used it as a bubble-popping game at a kids' party.
view 37Rubydog's profile
Keep it clean. Dusty bubble wrap is a drag. Yep to Craigslist...a lot of small businesses looking to save $$$s look there. Ditto for styrofoam peanuts and moving boxes... this stuff is expensive to buy brand new and just adds to landfill.
view Lucy Love's profile
In college I covered a wall in bubble wrap. It fell under the stress relief category for sure, but other people would stop by just to pop one or two. Kind of funny to think about all the angst-ridden conversations caused by the bubble wrap. Now it just seems to cause angst.
view Heather C's profile
Are you serious? A post for those ideas? gee, let's state the obvious one more time....
What to do with old receipts?
Keep them. They serve wonderful memories, specially when framed.
Recycle them. Paper's always recyclable, just make sure any coating on the receipts is also ok to recycle.
Get crafty. Nothing says craft like receipts.
Insulate your plants. Not sure how to get it done, but if you can insulate with bubble wrap, I'm sure paper should be just fine.
De-stress. You know how soothing to the soul and spirit ripping paper feels.
view Djluckyonline's profile
my neighborhood in Brooklyn is fond of leaving stuff (old dishes, books, you name it) out on stoops to be traded. I see no reason packing materials couldn't fit into the same category, provided it's not rainy and they won't blow away.
btw, Sarah, I love that you arranged and photographed your bubble wrap. your walls are gorgeous, too!
view lmk's profile
I take mine to the local UPS branch.
view KarenH's profile
Craigslist -- this and packing popcorn and moving boxes and any of those other treasures of the moment that need to be used now.
view krister's profile
My mom and I put bubblewrap in purses that aren't being used to help them keep their shape
view jenniferdbell's profile
Oh, list it on Craigslist! Some eBay seller would be DELIGHTED to get free bubble wrap. That stuff is ludicrously expensive, for what it is.
When I used to sell on eBay, I would have driven 20 miles for bubble wrap. :)
view Mary B C's profile
Make it into an Avant-Garde wedding dress...
view Daniel Poitiers's profile
We really needed a post about this?
And why wasn't GIVE IT AWAY not on the top of the list? Recycling is subpar to reusing.
Maybe the author needs to be introduced to Freecycle?
view FrogsPet's profile
At Anthropologie this weekend, they had a wall of the big bubble wrap, which they had cut little pockets into (into each of the bubbles) and filled with different colored liquid to make a big mosaic. How they sealed the bubbles back up (to prevent a giant liquid mess) is beyond me.
Can't say I'd recommend this idea!
view MollydeA's profile
Make a child's day.
view kelleyk's profile
have some friends over for a lord of the rings (really extended version) marathon... hand them some bubble wrap to pop....
in the end, you'll cry for joy with frodo, sam, and the fact you went through all the wrapping you had...
view manu_pty's profile
We just found a giant roll of pink bubble wrap on the street recently.
view sciencegeek's profile
paint it red, make a gazillion dollars, marry a model, and buy a castle.
Oh, wait, that was red dwarf.
view paintitbright's profile
I love to pop the bubbles.
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
Cut off the bottoms of the rolls you show. You know, about 6 inches. Hot glue them on the wall ( you wouldn't need but a dollop) in the configuration you show or something different.
view peeeenny's profile