Editing Cellophane (section)

==Today==
[[File:Cellophane.JPG|thumb|Rolls of cellophane in various colours]]
Cellulose film has been manufactured continuously since the mid-1930s and is still used today. As well as packaging a variety of food items, there are also industrial applications, such as a base for such [[Pressure sensitive tape|self-adhesive tapes]] as [[Sellotape]] and [[Scotch Tape]], a [[semipermeable|semi-permeable membrane]] in some alkaline manganese dioxide [[Electric battery|batteries]],<ref>David Linden; Thomas B. Reddy (1995) Handbook of Batteries 3d ed. p. 250 ISBN 0-07-135978-8</ref> as [[dialysis tubing]] (Visking tubing), and as a release agent in the manufacture of [[fibreglass]] and [[rubber]] products. Cellophane is the most popular material for manufacturing [[cigar]] packaging; its permeability to water vapor makes cellophane a good product for this application as cigars must be allowed to "breathe" while wrapped and in storage.

Cellophane sales have dwindled since the 1960s, due to alternative packaging options. The [[rayon#manufacturing health hazards|polluting effects]] of [[carbon disulfide]] and other by-products of the process used to make viscose may have also contributed{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} to its falling behind lower cost petrochemical-based films such as [[biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate]] (BoPET) and [[Polypropylene#Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP)|biaxially oriented polypropylene]] (BOPP) in the 1980s and 1990s. However, as of 2017, it has made something of a resurgence in recent times due to its being biosourced, compostable, and biodegradable. Its sustainability record is clouded by its energy-intensive manufacturing process and the potential negative impact of some of the chemicals used, but significant progress in recent years has been made by leading manufacturers in reducing their environmental footprint.<ref name="auto"/>