Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria, and liquid water makes it useful for food packaging. Cellophane became a staple (and a generic term for clear, plastic wrap) in American households and revolutionized the packaging industry by allowing consumers to see the contents of packages while maintaining hygiene and freshness.
Cellophane was invented in 1908 by Jacques E. Brandenberger, a Swiss textile engineer, who first conceived the idea for a clear, protective packaging layer after witnessing a wine spill on a restaurant tablecloth. The first cellophane was manufactured in the United States at a DuPont plant in Buffalo, New York, in 1924. A major limitation of early cellophane was that it was waterproof but not moisture-proof, making it unsuitable for many food packaging applications. This issue was resolved in 1927 when DuPont chemist William Hale Charch developed a process to make cellophane moisture-proof by applying a nitrocellulose lacquer, which led to a significant increase in sales and widespread adoption in food packaging.
During World War II, cellophane was classified as an essential material and used to package soldier rations and make vapor-resistant gas capes and rain capes. Sales have dwindled since the 1960s, due to alternative packaging options. Although newer, more heat-resistant synthetic materials have since emerged, cellophane remains common in packaging and is still produced today. The Dupont advertisement above is from 1956.
