Sealed Air Inspires Creativity in Kids Across America

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J., April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE), maker of Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning, is excited to announce the 10 semi-finalists in the Fifth Annual Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors. The 10 semi-finalists, chosen from entries ranging from all over the U.S., will vie for over $25,000 in prizes and savings bonds in a competition that encourages creativity and ingenuity in American youngsters. This year's semi-finalists will now compete for three finalist spots, a trip to New York City and a chance to win a $10,000 savings bond grand prize.

The Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors encourages students nationwide in grades six through eight to demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by designing an invention that incorporates the use of Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning. Students were invited to submit original inventions along with a visual and written description that included the name of the invention, the purpose it serves, how it works and how the idea was formulated.

"The 10 semi-finalists have displayed a great deal of creativity and the ability to turn our packaging material into something new and exciting outside of its intended use," said William V. Hickey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sealed Air. "The Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors has created a platform that allows kids to share their ingenuity with us and these top 10 exemplify what the competition is all about."  

The Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors is administered in conjunction with Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company.  All submitted entries were judged based on their originality, creativity and practicality, as well as their benefit to society, marketability and overall presentation. This year's competition attracted entries from all across the U.S., with submissions that included everything from a floating garden, to an environmentally friendly birdhouse, to a bed that keeps disaster victims safe and warm.

This year's 10 semi-finalists are:

• Lillith Bulawa, Ava, NY - "Floating Garden of Bubble-On" – A garden that floats on top of water with the aid of Bubble Wrap® cushioning. This self-watering garden sits in a box atop a raft, which is made buoyant by Bubble Wrap® material, is designed to help save crops in flood zones.

• Kai Wai Danner, Santa Rosa, CA - "The Green Bubble" – A greenhouse insulated with a double layer of Bubble Wrap® cushioning. This insulation allows crops to grow in different climates year round.

• Victoria Yuan, Bala Cynwyd, PA - "The Bubble Bed" – A lightweight, durable, inexpensive and waterproof bed made up of many layers of Bubble Wrap® cushioning to help keep victims of natural disasters comfortable and safe from the elements when sleeping.

• Thomas Guo, Wynnewood, PA – "Bubble Wrap® Pipe Insulator" – A quick, inexpensive way to prevent water pipes from freezing and/or bursting by using multiple layers of Bubble Wrap® material to insulate them.

• Mackenzie Conkling, Massapequa, NY – "Uber Bubble Glove" – A glove insulated by two different layers of Bubble Wrap® material and covered by a larger glove in order keep the hands of people affected by Raynaud's Disease warm in cold weather.

• Bradley York, Franklin, TN – "Water Wrap" – A Bubble Wrap® pouch that allows people in third world countries to carry large amounts of water greater distances, which will cut down on the number of trips made to get water each day.

• Autumn Trogdon, Windsor, CA – "Cell Phone Holder" – An inexpensive, lightweight cell phone case made entirely of Bubble Wrap® cushioning. It is created to keep cost down, while keeping your phone safe.

• Ni'Gere Epps, Harvey, IL – "Enviro-Feeder" – An environmentally friendly birdhouse that is made using Bubble Wrap® material and other reusable and recyclable materials. This cost-effective birdhouse can be made by kids without having the risk of injury associated with using saws, nails, hammers and other tools.

• Emily Fasano, Massapequa, NY – "Slipper/Sock Inserts" – A Bubble Wrap® material insert that goes inside slippers and/or socks that is created for people who sleepwalk and wander. The popping noise of the Bubble Wrap® material will wake the person up, which in turn, prevents possible injury.

• Alysia Rathbun, North Stonington, CT – "Poppin Ice" – An ice cube tray made of Bubble Wrap® material. You fill the craters of an already popped sheet of Bubble Wrap with water, put it in the freezer and it makes perfect ice cubes that are easy to access.

To make it to the finals, each of the 10 semi-finalists is required to build and deliver full-scale working versions of their invention to be reviewed by a panel of judges. The three finalists will be announced following the completion of the judging process on Monday, May 2. The three finalists and a family member will win a three-day trip to New York City for a chance to win the grand prize of a $10,000 U.S. savings bond. The second and third prize winners will also receive $5,000 and $3,000 U.S. savings bonds, respectively. The teacher/mentor of each finalist will also receive a $500 gift card. Also, seven runners-up will be awarded one $500 savings bond each. The grand prize winner will be announced at the Bubble Wrap® Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 21.

The brand enjoys the reputation of a pop-culture phenomenon today.  Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning has more than two million likes on Facebook and has inspired users to come up with hundreds of different uses.  Beyond its "pop" appeal, Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning has also helped spur the growth of parent company Sealed Air Corporation, which today operates in 52 countries and has annual revenue in excess of $4 billion. You can read more about 2011 and previous Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors winners at www.bubblewrapcompetition.com.

About Sealed Air

For over fifty years, Sealed Air has been a leading global innovator and manufacturer of a wide range of packaging and performance-based materials and equipment systems that now serve an array of food, industrial, medical, and consumer applications. Operating in 52 countries, Sealed Air's international reach generated revenue of approximately $4.5 billion in 2010. With widely recognized brands such as Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning, Jiffy® protective mailers, Instapak® foam-in-place systems and Cryovac® packaging technology, Sealed Air continues to identify new trends, foster new markets, and deliver innovative solutions to its customers. For more information about Sealed Air, please visit the Company's web site at www.sealedair.com.

SOURCE Sealed Air Corporation