Blast through

If you ask BlastGard International CEO Michael Gordon about his company's proprietary product, BlastWrap, he'll say it has potential to be used in a variety of ways to save lives and improve security. But Gordon will also admit, with some defeat, the most predominant use of BlastWrap to date: to ''bomb-proof” garbage cans.

BlastWrap is a product stuffed with beads of volcanic glass and Perlite, the foam-like substance in potting soil. It works by using air-filled cells in the beads to dissipate the force of a blast, reducing damage to surrounding areas.

Gordon, 55, says the wrap could be used for everything from securing munitions storage buildings to protecting airliner fuel tanks from explosive blasts. But its only use so far has been to line trash cans in public places to protect people from potential hidden bombs.