Stretch Film - Why Do We Use So Much?

We read the following interesting article by Brad Shorr:

Stretch Film - Why Do We Use So Much?

Stretch film, made from various formulations of linear low density polyethylene film, is used just about everywhere to hold loads together on pallets. Since most of us do not see the palletized loads that move inside trucks and rail cars, it may surprise you to learn how much of this plastic film is being pumped into the waste stream.

Reliable industry figures are hard to come by, but a conservative estimate of U.S. stretch film capacity is something in excess of 1 billion pounds, which works out to approximately 8,333 rail cars of stretch film material. If those rail cars were passing you on the tracks at a clip of one car every three seconds, you'd have to wait seven hours for the entire train to pass.

Although U.S. annual consumption is not at full capacity, we are nevertheless dealing with a massive amount of plastic waste. What happens to it? Some of it is recycled, but most of it winds up in the garbage.

Why is stretch film so widely used? To paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, stretch film is the worst form of pallet unitization except all the others that have been tried.

Strapping, either plastic or steel, is difficult to apply, expensive, awkward or even dangerous to remove, and inconvenient to dispose of. Strapping provides no moisture protection for palletized loads, either.

Gaylord shipping containers, or large, lidded boxes stapled to a pallet, are widely used in the printing industry and in specialized applications such as automotive parts shipping. However, they are expensive, use an enormous amount of corrugated material, and are not practical for mainstream pallet unitization applications.

Stretchable tapes and rubber bands can be effective for lightweight, uniform loads and/or intraplant transport, and are very appealing from a sustainability perspective. However, these materials again provide no moisture protection, are not practical for irregularly shaped loads, and are not strong enough for heavy loads and long distance shipping.

Palletizing adhesives are applied to boxes in liquid or aerosol form as they are stacked on pallets. They are the ultimate in packaging source reduction, but are not always easy to apply and may present problems downstream when loads are broken down. And again, adhesives offer no moisture protection and have limited strength.

In contrast, stretch film can be applied to palletized loads of virtually any size, weight, and configuration. Stretch film is relatively inexpensive and is strong enough to maintain load integrity under even the most rigorous shipping conditions. Stretch film can be integrated into high speed and low speed palletization operations, in centralized or decentralized palletization environments, and wherever space is limited. Stretch film is easy to remove (other than being dusty), and can be easily recycled if a company takes the trouble to do so.

Realistically, stretch film is not likely to leave the U.S. secondary packaging scene. That being the case, it is critically important for packers to reduce the amount of film they use. In my next article, I will talk about the many ways it can be accomplished.

Brad Shorr is president of Word Sell, Inc., a sales and marketing consultancy based in Chicago. With an extensive background in B2B and the packaging industry, he specializes in sales coaching and training, online marketing strategy, and business blog development.

Contact us today for more information about our pre stretch film products

How to Use Less Stretch Film for Pallet Unitization

We read the following interesting article by Brad Shorr

How to Use Less Stretch Film for Pallet Unitization

Stretch film, a linear low density polyethylene pallet wrapping material, is the overwhelming choice for unitizing loads for truck and rail shipment. Although a wrapped pallet usually uses one pound of stretch film or less, the weight adds up quickly. U.S. stretch film consumption is in the neighborhood of 1 billion pounds per year.
Shippers can make a big dent in consumption by taking advantage of new film technologies, more efficient equipment, and careful review of their application.

New Films. Since stretch film first became popular in the late 1970's, manufacturers have steadily improved film quality and performance. Today's films stretch more, exert stronger holding force on the load, and have much greater puncture resistance. As a result, shippers can use thinner films and apply less film to their loads without compromising pallet integrity. Unfortunately, in many shipping operations, films are neither tested nor upgraded on a regular basis. A film which was "state of the art" in 2004 may be a mediocre performer by 2008 standards.

Efficient Equipment. Stretch film can be applied to pallets by hand or with a machine. When applied manually, films are typically stretched only 25-40%. However, when applied by a conventional stretch wrap machine employing a rudimentary core braking system, stretch percentages can exceed 100%. To obtain even greater yields, shippers can use machinery with a powered pre-stretching system capable of stretching film as much as 300%. Small volume shippers find it difficult to justify the cost of powered pre-stretch equipment, which runs into the low or mid five-figures. For them a better, less expensive alternative is to retrofit pre-stretch attachments onto existing standard brake machines. For high volume shippers, an ROI of 12 months or less is common when upgrading from conventional to powered pre-stretch equipment.

Review the Application. Because stretch film has the look and feel of kitchen wrap, it is regarded as flimsy. Consequently, shippers tend to use more film that they need to consolidate a load. A typical machine cycle will wrap two or three times at the bottom of the pallet, slowly move up, apply two or three wraps at the top, and slowly move back down to the bottom. By speeding up cycle time and/or eliminating the number of wraps, substantial reductions in film usage can be realized. (As a side benefit, faster, less extensive wrapping increases throughput.)

Take Action. Shippers, regardless of volume, should review film, equipment, and application options annually - at a minimum. An excellent opportunity to survey the market is the heavily attended Pack Expo convention sponsored by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI). Pack Expo rotates between Chicago and Las Vegas and features equipment and film exhibits from all the major players in stretch equipment and film.

Brad Shorr is president of Word Sell, Inc., a sales and marketing consultancy based in Chicago. With an extensive background in B2B and the packaging industry, he specializes in sales coaching and training, online marketing strategy, and business blog development.

Contact us today for more information about our pre stretch film products