Cellophane Tape Day

Commemorating the invention of the most practical and widely used cellophane tape, National Cellophane Tape Day is celebrated on the 27th of May every year.

It's clear, shiny, and it's stamped in some of the greatest treasures the world has ever seen. It is used to seal letters and wrap gifts, take notes, and attach things to homework. Its companion is the stapler, and it lives on the desks of office workers and teachers, and it has a scientific property that seems completely magical. That's right, we're talking cellophane tape, commonly known as "Scotch Tape" thanks to the famous brand, and Cellulose Tape day is all about celebrating this amazing tape!

Why Cellophane Tape Day?

Whether you're trying to wrap gifts or put things together or do projects for school and college, cellophane tape has a wide application. From completing assignments to simple household applications, cellophane tape is a much-used and appreciated invention. This day is to celebrate the invention of cellophane tape and the uses it brings to our everyday lives. This is a day to celebrate Richard Drew, who invented cellophane tape. Adhesive tape is known for holding things together, fixing debris and is quite handy for everyone, from children to adults. It's a day to acknowledge the importance of this stationery item almost everyone uses.

History of Cellophane Tape Day

In the early 1920s, Richard Gurley Drew worked at the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, now known as 3M, which manufactured sandpaper at the time. Drew delivered samples of sandpaper to body shops and saw the frustration painters experienced when painting two-tone cars. Surgical tape, library paste, and homemade glue are used to hold newspapers on cars when painted, and when the sheets are removed, sticky residue often remains, causing some layers of paint as they come off.

Drew invented duct tape and created it using crêpe paper, cabinetmaker's glue, and glycerin. It adheres well to cars when painted, and also peels off easily afterwards without removing the paint. It was on the market as Scotch Masking Tape in 1925. The name "Scotch" derives from a national stereotype that Scots are stingy. Some stories claim that the tape didn't stick well at first, or that there was no glue in the middle. The purported stories that Drew were told back to his "Scotch" bosses and told them to add binder, or that they asked him why he was "Scotch" with the binder like so. It's unclear if Drew actually had these conversations, but nonetheless, the name stuck, as did the final version of the tape.

In 1929, Drew came up with the idea to use cellophane, recently invented by DuPont, to make adhesive tape. Cellophane is moisture resistant and is used to wrap baked goods and grocery items. He wanted to invent a cellophane tape that could seal cellophane packaging while blending so it wouldn't be seen. The machinery used to apply masking tape does not work with cellophane tape, and the glue used in masking tape doesn't look good on transparent tape. New machinery was created, and a new, transparent adhesive made of oil, rubber and plastic helped create a successful transparent cellophane tape. It was originally named Scotch Cellulose Tape and later became Scotch Clear Tape. It was revealed and marketed on January 31, 1930, and its patent was published on May 27th of the same year. This is why Cellophane Ice Day is celebrated today.

At first, it didn't seem like a new tape was needed. DuPont has devised cellophane that can be heat sealed, so there's no need to use new tape to seal packages. With the Great Recession beginning as well, it doesn't seem like the best time to start marketing a new product. But in an era when frugality was essential, Scotch tape's wide applicability made it popular. It's perfect for simple repairs around the house. It can be used to repair books, curtains, sheet music, clothes, nails, cracked eggs, cracked plaster ceilings, and for many other things. It was eventually used as a "corrosion shield" in Goodyear Blimps. As the company prospered and was one of the few workers who didn't lay off workers during the Great Depression - they kept innovating. Adhesive dispensers with cutter blades were marketed in 1932, and in 1939 the now popular snail hand-held tape dispenser was created. Richard Gurley Drew is currently in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Today, many manufacturers make clear cellophane tape, but most people still refer to it as "Scotch tape." It is believed that transparent tape is now used in 90% of homes.

Some facts about Tape

• X-ray tape

In 1953, research by Soviet scientists revealed that if cellophane tape was placed in a vacuum and peeled off, it would produce X-rays.

• All-American Band

More than 90% of homes in the United States, as well as businesses, use masking tape for various purposes.

• Not just a few different varieties

Today, there are more than 400 types of tapes made such as packing tape, electrical tape, transparent tape, labeling tape, etc.

• Bandage

Produced during World War II, duct tape was originally called "duct tape" by soldiers because of its ability to repel moisture, like "watering a duck's back".

• Ice for eggs

Ornithologists sometimes use Scotch tape to cover cracks that form in the soft shells of fertilized pigeon eggs, thus allowing them to hatch.

Interesting facts about National Cellophane Tape Day

• Cellophane tape was originally called Scotch cellulose tape and later Scotch clear tape. The name came about when a furniture store painter experimented with adhesive tape and angrily quoted that Scotch bosses should add more adhesive to the tape.
• Commercially used cellophane tape was first produced in 1930.
• The cutter blade, very popularly used to cut cellophane tape, was marketed a few years later from 1932.
• The snail tape dispenser, used in commercial applications, was first introduced in 1939.
• X-ray ice was discovered in 1953 when Soviet scientists peeled off the cellophane ice in a vacuum.
• There are more than 400 different types of tapes available such as labeling tapes, transparent tapes, packaging tapes, electrical tapes and more.
• Originally, Duct tape was known as "Duct tape" because it was water resistant like a duck. It was produced more during the Second World War.
• Some ornithologists have used scotch tape to cover cracks in pigeon eggs, giving them more time to hatch naturally and saving the lives of many birds.
• Originally, duct tape or speculum tape was used to seal cartridges.
• Although it's called duct tape, it doesn't work well on ducts and it's also illegal to use them to close ducts.
• There was a Tape Festival organized by Duck Brands where students had to attend wearing costumes made of these tapes. The best costume was awarded a cash prize.
• The adhesive for Duct tape is derived from the rubber tree.

How to celebrate Cellophane Tape Day

From gift wrapping to sealing leaks, cellophane tape is beneficial in many places for different applications. There are many ways to celebrate cellophane tape because of its many uses and here are some ways to celebrate this day enthusiastically.

• You can use this day to learn more about cellophane tape, its origins, the evolution of this simple stationery over time, and more. You can also learn how it is used in different places.
• This could be your chance to use cellophane tape to do things at home. Secure some broken items at home with cellophane tape, label items with these tapes if you wish, and more. They can even be used on labels to avoid the possibility of smudges.
• You can also harness your creativity to do something clever with cellophane tape on this day to elevate the tape.
• Share your enthusiasm and your memories of this cellophane and day on your online portals and social media. Include the hashtag #NationalCellophaneTapeDay in your posts to generate maximum awareness.