the invention of packing peanuts is often attributed to robert e. holden; however, very little is known about the inventor. to facilitate the creation of the packing peanut, holden also invented an apparatus that would help to cut and expand plastic members through a steaming process. by feeding plastic strips through the device, it would create the foamy cellular structure that is the trademark of the classic packing peanuts. it also allowed the plastic to be created in such a way that they would interlock, providing a more secure shipping solution.