Charlotte, North Carolina Student Takes Home Grand Prize in Second Annual Bubble Wrap(R) Competition for Young Inventors

Hannah Haas, a thirteen-year-old, home-schooled student from Charlotte, North Carolina has been named the Grand Prize Winner in the second annual, nationwide Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors. Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE:SEE), the creator of Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning, made the announcement in conjunction with today’s nationwide celebration of the 8th annual Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day, a holiday honoring the revolutionary packaging material invented nearly 50 years ago and recognized around the world. Haas’s invention, entitled "Sensory Wallpaper”, uses Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning to create wallpaper that is designed to stimulate, engage and comfort children afflicted with autism. The invention, which combines a textured bubble surface containing large and small bubbles on a calming, blue wallpaper background, edged out more than 1,400 entries received and earned the eighth-grader the competition’s top prize and a $10,000 U.S. savings bond. "Sealed Air would like to congratulate Hannah on winning the Grand Prize and for coming up with such a creative and inspiring invention that seeks to make a positive impact in the lives of others,” stated William V. Hickey, Sealed Air’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "We also want to congratulate our second and third place winners for their great inventions, and thank all of the students, teachers and parents around the country who contributed to the overall success of this year’s Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors.” In an essay accompanying her invention, Haas pointed out that, according to the Autism Society of America, more than one million people in the U.S. are living with one of the autism spectrum disorders. She goes on to explain that children with autism and sensory processing disorder often find that rubbing their hands on textured surfaces is calming, and that this sensory input gives children with sensory issues an awareness of their own bodies as well as their environment. Haas designed her "Sensory Wallpaper” ‘to give children with autism the sensory stimulation they crave built right into their own environment.’ Sealed Air Corporation also announced the second and third place winners of the competition: Second Place Winner ($5,000 U.S. Savings Bond): Nicolette Mann, 13, Christiansburg, VA – "Transformable Bubble Wrap® Kite” – A home-schooled eighth-grader who used Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning to create a single kit that enables the easy assembly of multiple flying kites by providing detailed instructions on how to construct different formations, shapes and styles. Third Place Winner ($3,000 U.S. Savings Bond): Max Wallack, 11, Natick, MA – "Carpal Cushion” – An eighth-grader at the Advanced Math and Science Academy, Max used Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning to create an adjustable wrist cushion designed to help alleviate and prevent the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome experienced by computer users, as well as agricultural and manufacturing workers in foreign and developing nations. In addition to their savings bonds, all three winners were treated to a trip to New York City to celebrate Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day. During their weekend visit, they toured a Sealed Air Bubble Wrap® brand manufacturing plant in Saddle Brook, New Jersey (the state where Bubble Wrap® brand was first invented); attended a performance and later met the cast members of the award-winning, international smash sensation STOMP; and were honored at a special awards dinner at New York’s famous Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. They also received a special gift bag courtesy of OfficeMax® Incorporated. About the Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors The Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors encourages U.S. students in grades 5 through 8 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. This year’s competition attracted more than 1,400 entries, nearly twice the number submitted last year, with entries ranging from a Bubble Wrap® wheel chair cushion and protective car door cover, to a collapsible plant shelter and shock-absorbing dance floor. Submissions were judged in coordination with the National Museum of Education and ranked based on several criteria including originality, creativity, practicality, benefit to society, marketability and feasibility, as well as overall presentation. About Bubble Wrap® Brand Cushioning Bubble Wrap® cushioning was invented by Sealed Air’s founders in 1960 and was originally intended to be used as a type of textured wallpaper. The inventors quickly realized it was actually a superior cushioning material, and Sealed Air is now a global, Fortune 500 company that offers a wide range of packaging solutions, has operations in 51 countries and has annual sales in excess of $4 billion. Sealed Air is widely recognized for its strong commitment to innovation, and continues to be an industry leader in research and development. For additional information on Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning and the competition, visit www.bubblewrap.com. About Sealed Air Corporation Sealed Air is a leading global innovator and manufacturer of a wide range of packaging and performance-based materials and equipment systems that serve food, medical, and an array of industrial and consumer applications. For more than half a century, Sealed Air employees have applied deep understanding of customers’ businesses and global trends to deliver sustainable packaging solutions. Operating in 51 countries, Sealed Air’s widely recognized and respected brands include Bubble Wrap® cushioning, Cryovac® food packaging technologies, Jiffy® protective mailers and Instapak® foam-in-place systems. For more information about Sealed Air, please visit the Company’s web site at www.sealedair.com.