What is stretch wrap?
Stretch wrap is a highly stretchable plastic film (LLDPE) wrapped around items. It's also commonly called stretch film or pallet wrap.
Due to the film's elasticity, it keeps items tightly bound, stopping them from moving about during storage and transit. One of the most common uses is to secure products on pallets,and is available in different colours, lengths, and thicknesses. The thickness of the film is measured in a unit known as a micron, sometimes referred to as mu. Usually, the higher the micron, the stronger the stretch film.
The benefits of stretch wrap
- Prevent damage
- Helps with the safe moment of goods
- Minimising tampering
- Prevent loss
Like most packaging supplies, stretch film is used to protect products in storage and transit, arguably one of the most important areas for customer experience.
If their order arrives damaged, it affects consumer perception and costs your business. The impact (if frequent enough) could be significant to areas like administration and transportation.
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Different types of stretch film
Blown stretch films are made using a circular die that extrudes bubble of film. Additives are used to provide high cling, and good load stabilisation attributes.
Characteristics of Blown stretch films:
- Milkier or dull film appearance
- High cling on both sides of the film
- Excellent puncture resistance
- Bi-directional tear resistance
Cast Stretch Film
Cast stretch films are made using a flat die and can be produced with multiple layers. They have a smooth surface with excellent gloss, strength, and cling without additives.
Characteristics of cast stretch film:
- Clear and glossy film
- High transparency
- Film has cling on one side only
- Lower noise when being unwound
- Superior tear resistance
Pre-Stretched Film
Pre-stretched film involves stretching the film during manufacture. This can help improve film strength, load stability and even the amount of film needed to wrap goods.
Characteristics of pre-stretch film:
- Good yield
- Very strong film
- Good for fast wrapping
Different types of application
Hand application is when stretch film is manually applied by hand, which can be done with or without a hand dispenser. All hand-applied stretch films are supplied on standard cores for use with hand-applied applicators or extended cores.
Machine application is when stretch film is applied to a pallet or product using a pallet wrapper. A pallet wrapper is a machine that automatically winds film around a product. Machine-applied stretch films are extremely strong and versatile, which saves time, resources and packaging materials for high-performance applications requiring higher tensile strengths. These films have excellent puncture resistance and good cling, slip and load retention.
Common questions about stretch wrap
Below we have listed some popular questions people have around stretch wrap. If you have any more queries that are not listed, our team of experts will be happy to help you.
Can stretch wrap be recycled?
Stretch wrap is made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which means it is a category 4 plastic material.
It can be recycled industrially but may not be collected at kerbside. Anyone looking to recycle stretch film locally should check with their local authority.
As it's made from LDPE, you may be able to recycle it with supermarket carrier bag collections, however, it's advisable to check services or the collection points in your area.
Choosing the best stretch film for you
We recommend you measure your current usage and review your application before selecting a stretch film. The best way to calculate your usage is to look at your stretch yield in metres and your yield costs in weight. This enables you to calculate the effectiveness of your stretch wrap by calculating the cost to wrap a pallet.
Don't forget, we have a full guide available to you, filled with more lots more detail. If you would like more advice about stretch wrap or packaging in general,
As a professional manufacturer of stretch film, Shenzhen JYE Packaging Materials Co., Ltd. focuses on providing various effective product packaging protection solutions for the packaging industry. No matter what specifications of stretch film you are looking for, we can provide customized solutions to meet your needs.
If you are interested in stretch film packaging products, please contact us immediately for expert advice and customized products to meet your specific requirements. ( info@jyestretchfilm.com )
