Packaging material

A packaging sheet material, said sheet material moveable from a first condition to a second, extended condition by the exertion of a movement force thereon, wherein the packaging sheet material is expanded to create a three dimensional packaging configuration to increase the volume of the packaging sheet material to create a cushioning effect in the second condition, wherein said sheet material includes a first portion including apertures formed therein in a predefined pattern, and a plurality of second portions each having edges defined by the adjacent apertures of the first portion, and when the movement force is applied to the sheet material the first portion expands to an expanded condition, wherein the second portions are provided with no apertures so as to form a surface that will not significantly expand such that the surface of the second portions are suitable to receive a label with a layer of adhesive thereon to retain the label on said surface and/or indications in the form of ink which is printed or handwritten onto said surface and wherein the packaging sheet material is provided as a roll to be dispensed in a first direction from a dispensing apparatus in which the roll is retained so as to dispense said first portion of the sheet material with a length defined by a user cutting said first portion from the roll so as to be used to package one or more articles, said apertures provided along the roll such that the detached first portion and apertures therein extend from the leading edge of the sheet material to the cut edge, and wherein said plurality of second portions are located at predefined spaced apart locations, and located within said first portion of the sheet material such that there is sufficient spacing between the second portions and/or the size of the second portions are sufficiently small such that the second portions do not significantly affect the expansion of the first portion when the movement force is applied thereto.

A method of packaging an article in a packaging sheet material, said method comprising the steps of forming a series of apertures in a repeating pattern on a first portion of at least one layer of the sheet material, providing the sheet material in a roll to be dispensed from a dispensing apparatus, pulling a leading edge of the roll from the dispensing apparatus so as to open the apertures of the first portion and expand the dimensions of the sheet material, removing said first portion of the sheet material with a length defined by a user cutting said first portion from the roll, such that the detached first portion and the apertures therein extend from the leading edge of the sheet material to the cut edge, and wrapping one or more articles in said sheet material and providing a plurality of second portions in the sheet material with no apertures and each of said second portions having edges defined by the adjacent apertures of the first portion, and a surface which will not significantly expand providing said second portions in a predefined spaced apart pattern on said sheet material and locating said second portions within said first portion such that there is sufficient spacing between the second portions and/or the size of the second portions are sufficiently small such that the second portions do not significantly affect the expansion of the first portion when the pulling force is applied thereto, and such that when the section of sheet material of the required size to package said one or more articles is removed, at least one of said second portions is located on said section and characterized in that when said sheet material is in both the first condition and second, expanded, condition, said surface of the second portions are to receive a label with a layer of adhesive thereon to retain the label on said surface and/or indications in the form of ink which is printed or handwritten onto said surface so as to allow the application of said label and/or indications to said surface of the at least one second portions located on said section.