Popping the blisters on the bubble wrap might be the most enjoyable thing about moving.
But now, scientists propose a more productive way to reuse the popular packing material — as a sheet of small, test tube-like containers for medical and environmental samples. Their report, which shows that analyses can take place right in the bubbles, appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.
George Whitesides and colleagues explain that although bubble wrap filled with biological samples, like blood or urine, or chemicals would have to be handled carefully, the material offers numerous advantages for those living in resource-limited areas. The material is available almost everywhere around the world, is inexpensive, doesn’t generate sharp edges when broken (like glass containers), is easily disposed of by burning and is flexible. The interiors of the bubbles also are sterile, so there’s no need for costly autoclaves that have to be plugged in — a huge plus for the nearly 2 billion people around the world who do not have regular access to electricity.
To show that their idea could work, the team injected liquids into the air-filled pockets of bubble wrap with syringes and sealed the holes with nail hardener. They successfully ran anemia and diabetes tests on the liquids. They also could grow microbes such as E. coli in the blisters, which is important for detecting contamination in water samples. “The bubbles of bubble wrap, therefore, can be used for storing samples and performing analytical assays, a function that has the potential to be especially beneficial in resource-limited regions, and in very cost-sensitive applications,” they conclude.
The Latest on: Uses for bubble wrap
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The Latest on: Uses for bubble wrap
- Bubble Wrap Packaging Market Share Analysis | Growth Strategies and Comprehensive Forecast 2025 to 2035on July 13, 2025 at 10:08 pm
One of the standout advantages of bubble wrap is its lightweight nature, which translates to lower shipping costs and carbon emissions. Between 2025 and 2035, there will be a strong market tilt toward ...
- Experts are saying to use bubble wrap in your yard this summer — here's howon June 27, 2025 at 4:44 am
How does bubble wrap hold heat?Filled with small air pockets, bubble wrap can hold onto heat. When wrapped around plants, it acts as an insulating layer, much like a blanket. It c ...
- Have Holiday Bubble Wrap to Spare? Use It to Ease Pain, Upgrade a Bath ...on December 3, 2024 at 7:51 am
Uses for bubble wrap: Pain-proof your knees Household chores that force you to kneel, from cleaning the baseboards to scrubbing the bathtub leave your knees achy and sore.
- 9 Surprisingly Good Reasons To Leave Your Bubble Wrap Intacton November 12, 2024 at 9:07 am
These 9 uses are reason enough to hang onto every piece of bubble wrap that comes into your home—even if it means resisting the urge to pop all those bubbles!
- How to Use Plastic Wrap for Moving (2025) | ConsumerAffairs®on April 30, 2024 at 5:00 pm
These include tape, boxes, moving blankets, bubble wrap — and even plastic wrap. Plastic wrap has many uses when it comes to moving, but people primarily use it to protect upholstered and large ...
- 12 Unexpected Ways to Use Bubble Wrap Around the Houseon December 18, 2022 at 4:00 pm
Use bubble wrap to pack your toiletries (like mini shampoos) on a big trip. You’ll use up the shampoo, but have bubble wrap left over for the return trip — which is perfect for securing any ...
- Is Bubble Wrap Recyclable? - Treehuggeron February 25, 2021 at 11:09 pm
Bubble wrap is being used by scientists to store liquid samples for experiments, trap spiders for research, keep animals warm during surgery, and as insulation for solar stills.
- 25 Unexpected, Brilliant Uses For Bubble Wrap - Mental Flosson January 23, 2018 at 4:00 pm
From banishing toilet tank sweat to protecting plants from the cold, Bubble Wrap is useful for more than just protecting packages.
- "Pop"-ular uses for Bubble Wrap - ClickOnDetroiton January 27, 2013 at 7:21 pm
1. Paint that Pops - For a different look, use Bubble Wrap® instead of a sponge to apply paint to interior walls to create a cool and unique textured design.
- Fun with Bubble Wrap | ABC7 Chicago | abc7chicago.comon March 16, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Bubble Wrap was created 50 years ago by an American engineer and a Swiss inventor. It now has more than two million fans on Facebook and has inspired users to come up with hundreds of different uses.
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