Bubble Wrap IGB Lab Special Instructions Landfill IGB LAB USERS ONLY: Place in designated bins in the lab labeled: Special Recycling – Plastic Film Note: NO cellophane-type materials. Plastic Film Is Not Recyclable Plastic film can clog up the machinery at recycling facilities which can cause equipment to malfunction, so it is not normally accepted in recycling bins. Though we previously had a program to collect it bagged in a bag, it is no longer running as there is no market for recyclers to sell the material. To learn more about plastic film’s decrease in value, see this article. Ways to Reduce Use Newspaper Instead Newspaper also works well to wrap items for shipping or storage, and newspaper balls can fill up empty space in packages. It can always be recycled after it has been used, too. Ways to Reuse Use It Again Keep any bubble wrap you receive and use it when you next need to wrap something fragile. One piece of bubble wrap can be used many times before it loses its usefulness. Did You Know? Bubble Wrap: A Happy Accident Bubble wrap was first created by engineers in the 1950s who were trying to create a 3D plastic wallpaper. Though the wallpaper idea never came to fruition, they realized their invention would make a great packing material.