Circular.ie

Unwrapping reuse with Green Bubble

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The Circular.ie team met with Peter from Green Bubble to learn more about how he moved from collecting and storing used bubble wrap at home, to helping others to reuse more than 17,000m sq. of bubble wrap (rather than going for incineration) in partnership with Sunflower Recycling.

The Circular.ie team met with Peter from Green Bubble to learn more about how he moved from collecting and storing used bubble wrap at home, to helping others to reuse more than 17,000m sq. of bubble wrap (rather than going for incineration) in partnership with Sunflower Recycling.

With over 2 million parcels being delivered every week in Ireland, we’ve all wondered what to do with the packaging leftover from a delivery, especially bubble wrap and fillers. Peter is taking this to a whole new level with Green Bubble. His plan is simple: Save as much bubble wrap as possible from ending up in the bin.

“I think the best way to become more sustainable is taking small steps,” says Peter.

We met Peter in his workshop, under the railway arches in Dublin’s north inner city, amongst a mountain of used bubble wrap. What Green Bubble is doing is simple. There are no complex systems or technology here, just care and organisation led by Peter’s clear vision.

He works in a circular way, by taking in discarded but perfectly good materials like bubblewrap, cardboard boxes and postal mailers. These are sorted, cleaned and stored. Peter then bundles and lists items on his website and Adverts.ie, with eco-friendly moving kits being one of his most popular offerings.

An idea born during lockdown 2020, Peter answered the door to a parcel for his wife and wondered what ends up happening to all of the bubble wrap we throw away? Realising there was no good answer in Ireland, he took it on himself to make the change. Five years on, Peter is scaling up his business and working with companies big and small to collect perfectly great packaging.

A helping hand

What was meant to be a routine networking event for Peter, ended up being the start of a blossoming partnership with North Wall's Sunflower Recycling. Collaborating with Sunflower, a Dublin based social enterprise, meant they saw the benefits of mutual support. Peter lightens their load by diverting materials from their collections for reuse, while Sunflower provides helping hands a few days a week.

During our visit we met Sunflower’s manager Lynsey, who told us of how their participation in employment schemes is much needed in the community. As well as being a valuable recycling business, Lynsey and her team work hard to train and upskill people, allowing them to reenter the workforce with confidence. Peter’s collaboration with Sunflower shows how environmental impact and social impact can go hand in hand.

Wrapping up

As we stood there amongst bags and shelves of bubbly plastic, we couldn’t help but feel inspired by Peter and Lynsey’s words. It’s not easy work, but their drive has gotten them this far and the future is looking bright.


So the next time you unbox a package, don’t overlook what you have, put it to good use or save it up and bring it to Peter! Sometimes the most effective solutions are the simplest. Take steps towards reuse and repair in your own life today.

Tune in

Peter was recently interviewed by our Community Manager Eibhlin, on Dublin City Fm’s The Green Room.

Listen to the episode here: