Scotch™ Brand announces its Scotch™ Cushion Lock™ protective wrap, a sustainable alternative to plastic cushion wrap made from 100% recycled paper and easily recycled in curbside bins, was recognized as a 2022 Fast Company World Change Ideas Awards finalist in the consumer products category.
"We are thrilled and honored to receive this prestigious recognition from Fast Company," said Mark Copman, 3M president, stationery and office supplies division.
Replacing plastic bubble
"Cushion Lock is an innovative product that combines science, engineering and art to address sustainability in packaging and shipping materials. Plastic bubble is a $175 million market in the U.S. and the vast majority of the product is not recycled. Our goal is to replace plastic bubble with Cushion Lock, a sustainable solution made from 100% recycled paper that protects products well, is easy to use and is easy to recycle."
Cushion Lock is a paper wrap that expands by 60 times its original volume when slight tension is applied as the paper is unrolled. The Japanese art of kirigami inspired this design innovation that turns a flat sheet of paper into a three-dimensional product.
Self-Locking technology
Cushion Lock replicates the protective and cushioning qualities of plastic bubble
Combining the art with precisely engineered cuts and folds, Cushion Lock replicates the protective and cushioning qualities of plastic bubble while eliminating the need for plastic -- filling packing boxes with less material and without the additional packing supplies typically required to secure and stabilize contents. The wrap tears by hand and its advanced self-locking technology readily fastens to itself, no scissors or tape needed to cut and secure.
Fast Company's World Changing Ideas awards are an annual recognition of the innovative ways companies and individuals are addressing the world's most prominent challenges and supporting the growth of positive social innovation, tackling social inequality, climate change, and public health crises.
Most ingenious initiatives
Now in its sixth year, the World-Changing Ideas Awards showcase 39 winners, 350 finalists, and more than 600 honorable mentions. A panel of Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of almost 3,000 entries from across the globe.
"We are consistently inspired by the novelty and creativity that people are applying to solve some of our society's most pressing problems, from shelter to the climate crisis. Fast Company relishes its role in amplifying important, innovative work to address big challenges," says David Lidsky, interim editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "Our journalists have identified some of the most ingenious initiatives to launch since the start of 2021, which we hope will both have a meaningful impact and lead others to join in being part of the solution."
