The History of Tupperware

Tupperware was created in the 1940s by a Massachusetts chemist named Earl S. Tupper. Tupper was inspired while creating molds at a plastics factory shortly after the Great Depression. He reasoned that if he could design an airtight seal for plastic storage containers, similar to those on a paint can, it could help war-wearied families reduce food waste and the associated costs by keeping food fresh for longer. This inspiration led him to create the revolutionary Wonderlier Bowl, which has remained a strong seller for many decades. Shortly thereafter, Brownie Wise popularized Tupperware parties — at-home events where ladies demonstrated and sold Tupperware products all around the country, effectively making them massively popular — and in the 1950s, she was named President of Marketing for Tupperware Parties Inc. Around the same time, Earl Tupper patented the “Tupper Seal” that helped keep food fresh for longer periods of time. Tupperware went global in the 1960s, adding to its status as one of the most well-known brands around, and in the 1980s, the product line began to focus more on reusability and school-age kids with products like the Sandwich Keeper and Lunch ‘N Bag sets. The FridgeSmart container line was introduced in the 1990s in collaboration with the University of Florida, and in the 2000s, the company began to offer certain cookware items like the MandoChef series and Microwave Pressure Cooker. In mid-2023, there was talk of Tupperware shuttering its doors forever, but after acquiring new financing and expanding in several different directions, including a partnership with the National Park Foundation that’s been going strong since 2020, it seems that the famous company may indeed continue on for many years to come.