I was just popping some bubblewrap when Friend loomed up over my shoulder and said, “You know, that’s bad for the environment.” He claims that the bubbles are filled not with air but with a mildly toxic gas. I don’t think he’s purposely putting me on, so there are two ways it could go: either I’m present at the birth of an urban legend…
…or bubblewrap, the bubblewrap that I popped as a child, the bubblewrap Dopers everywhere reach for and pop when they need comfort, the bubblewrap that made Opal’s webskills famous, that bubblewrap is a sham.
Ya know, or actually you don’t, my parents said the same thing to me years ago…I don’t know if it’s true but to me it seems like a bunch of doody.
I mean, why the heck would they use some sort of gas? Air is free! To the best of my knowledge there is no air that is better at keeping a plastic (no other air can penetrate until it’s been popped) in full bubble like wrap stuff, er yeah.
No, they fill the bubbles with an mixture of gases that is primarily nitrogen, which any diver will tell you can kill you; with small amounts of carbon dioxide, which is poisonous in large enough concentrations; oxygen, which feeds deadly fires; and poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, plasticizer fumes from the bubble wrap plastic, and possibly even radon! A murderous mixture, lemme tell you. Just expose a fish to it for a couple hours and you’ll see just how deadly it can be.
I thought the same thing, techchick. I mean, I can’t imagine that the people who make bubblewrap are going to spend a dime that they don’t have to. Bubblewrap and styrofoam peanuts and stuff like that is produced in mass, humungous, mind-boggling quantities. Why go to all the trouble of finding this substance, whatever it is, and figuring out how to contain it and measure it out and dispose of whatever it’s in, when as you said, air is free?
And Billdo, I’ve been to Opal’s site. But you were right in pointing out that virtual bubblewrap hurts nothing!
I can’t tell you if the gas inside BW is plain ol’ air – gaswise; but whatever it is, I’ll bet it contains less water vapor than plain ol’ air – moisturewise. They wouldn’t want the insides of the bubbles to get wet and dewy when the temp drops.
I think the reason that people say that popping bubblewrap is bad for the environment is because, as fun as it is to pop, it’s very, very irritating to listen to someone else pop. If you tell them to stop, you’re being an ass. If you tell them it’s bad for the environment, they’ll stop of their own accord, and maybe you can grab the bubblewrap for yourself.
A very good friend of mine (we were from Atlanta, went to college together, roomed together, joined the Marines together, went thru flight training together), started to work for Sealed Air in the early 60’s. He retired several years ago as Senior Vice President. The next time I see him I will ask about the air inside the bubbles and also about the humidity problem with the early bubbles.
The only website I found that mentioned anything about what was inside said something like “bubbles filled with air.” That was all, sorry.
::low voice::
But I heard the rumor that it was filled with Bubblonium, that mysterious Govmint gas that wrenches bubble-popping behavior from the unsuspecting victim, causing them to pop more bubbles, which releases more Bubblonium. Vicious circle. That makes it hard to re-use the stuff, making you buy more. That stuffs probably in contrails too.
::Leaning back, arching eyebrows:: Um huh.
