If you need economical, high-performance packaging, Sealed Air foams provide a wealth of benefits.
Although widely known for bubble wrap and Instapak, Sealed Air also manufactures highly resilient polyethylene foams under the Stratocell® and Ethafoam® brands. These closed-cell planks and sheets provide excellent shock absorption and structural rigidity, making them ideal for multi-impact protection in electronics, automotive parts, and aerospace instrumentation. Many grades now incorporate recycled content or use eco-friendly formulations designed to be part of a closed-loop plastic recycling system.
At Polyformes, we have extensive experience in supplying and converting Sealed Air foams. As an official distributor, we can supply planks and sheets in the precise sizes you need (laminating, sawing, and butt-welding as required), or design and manufacture prefabricated packaging, including end caps, inserts, and dunnage.
You can source the following foam materials from Polyformes, in sheet form or as pre-fabricated products.
Any industry that ships fragile, expensive, sensitive or delicate products or components can benefit from using Sealed Air foams. As a result, both Stratocell® and Ethafoam® are popular for protecting electronics, aerospace components, automotive parts, eCommerce shipments, and a wide range of additional applications.
The main difference between Ethafoam® and Stratocell® is their method of manufacture. Ethafoam® is a solid polyethylene plank material, making it better suited to applications requiring high-performance cushioning and resistance to repeated impacts. Stratocell®, although it also uses polyethylene, is produced by laminating multiple layers of material together. This structure offers a high strength-to-weight ratio, which means significantly less material is required (reducing overall pack sizes).
Foam-in-place systems are automated and semi-automated dispensing machines (such as the Instapak® 900, 901, or Simple systems) used in high-volume fulfillment environments. They involve dispensing the required volume of expanding foam directly into automated bags, films, or custom moulds, allowing protection of different-shaped items. However, the resulting insert is non-recyclable and very bulky for end users to dispose of.
Sealed Air’s polyethylene (PE) foams, including Ethafoam® and Stratocell®, are classified as No. 4 Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and can be recycled. However, due to their bulk and the limited infrastructure, these foams are not currently accepted in UK kerbside collections.
Sealed Air Corporation is a global packaging company best known for inventing Bubble Wrap.
Founded in 1960 by engineers Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes, the company famously traces its origins to a failed experiment. In 1957, the duo originally attempted to create a textured, plastic wallpaper with a paper backing. When that failed, they repurposed the material into protective packaging that became known as bubble wrap.
The business underwent a major rebranding exercise in 2023. Now known as SEE, it places greater emphasis on automated equipment, digital packaging services, and the development of new, increasingly sustainable materials.
Polyformes has a long and successful history with Sealed Air – among many other foam manufacturers – allowing us to supply and convert their market-leading foams.
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