Sealed Air Names Three Student Finalists in Third Annual Sealed Air Bubble Wrap(R) Competition for Young Inventors

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. (Map) - Grand Prize Winner to be Announced in New York on January 26, the Ninth Annual National Bubble Wrap(R) Appreciation Day

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The search for America's next young inventor has been narrowed down to three students and their Bubble Wrap(R) inventions. Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE), the creator of Bubble Wrap(R) brand cushioning, today announced the top three finalists in the third annual, nationwide Bubble Wrap(R) Competition for Young Inventors. They are:

-- Tucker Haas, 11, Charlotte, NC - "My Personal Swing Thing" - A swing for children with movement disorders that provides adjustable back and neck support using different amounts of Bubble Wrap(R) brand cushioning.

-- Nathan Huber, 14, St. Peter, MN - "Bubble Learning" - An interchangeable flash card system to help make learning fun for children.

"Every year, the competition for America's next young inventor grows more intense and the caliber of the submitted inventions was strong. In the end, the ingenuity of the three finalists' inventions stood out as most impressive to the judges," stated William V. Hickey, Sealed Air's President and Chief Executive Officer. "These students represent our nation's future inventors and Sealed Air is proud to sponsor a competition to foster the innovation and creative talents of young individuals. We look forward to congratulating the finalists and their mentors during a celebratory weekend in New York City later this month."

The three finalists will be flown along with a family member to New York City, where the Grand Prize Winner and runner-ups will be announced on Bubble Wrap(R) Appreciation Day (January 26, 2009).

While in New York, the finalists and their families will enjoy an exclusive tour of Sealed Air's main Bubble Wrap(R) manufacturing plant in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Later that night, the students will attend a special awards dinner celebration at New York's famous Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. The weekend will culminate with front row seating at Blue Man Group, the off-Broadway sensation that combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics.

The Grand Prize Winner of the competition will receive a $10,000 U.S. savings bond, while the second and third place winners will receive $5,000 and $3,000 U.S. savings bonds, respectively. The teacher/mentor of each finalist will receive a $500 gift card.

About the Bubble Wrap(R) Competition for Young Inventors

The Bubble Wrap(R) 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(R) 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.

The Bubble Wrap(R) Competition for Young Inventors is administered in conjunction with the National Museum of Education and all submitted entries were judged based on their originality, creativity and practicality, as well as their benefit to society, marketability and overall presentation. This year's competition attracted more than 2,200 entries from 40 states, with entries that included everything from a holiday tree skirt and jewelry to a sanitary hand guard for escalators and a punching bag.

About Bubble Wrap(R) Brand Cushioning

Bubble Wrap(R) 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(R) brand cushioning and the competition, visit www.bubblewrap.com.

About Sealed Air

Sealed Air is a leading global innovator and manufacturer of a wide range of packaging and performance-based materials and equipment systems that serve an array of food, industrial, medical, and consumer applications. Operating in 51 countries, Sealed Air's international reach generated revenue of $4.7 billion in 2007. With widely recognized brands such as Bubble Wrap(R) brand cushioning, Jiffy(R) protective mailers, Instapak(R) foam-in-place systems and Cryovac(R) packaging technology, Sealed Air continues to identify new trends, foster new markets, and deliver innovative solutions to its customers. For more information about Sealed Air, please visit the Company's web site at www.sealedair.com.

Media Contacts: Ken Aurichio Tai Green Sealed Air Corporation Weber Shandwick 201-703-4164 212-445-8239 Ken.Aurichio@sealedair.com tgreen@webershandwick.com