Jun. 16, 2025
Keeping pallets protected during storage and transport is a top priority for any warehouse. Whether it’s dust accumulation on warehouse shelves or the risk of tampering during transportation, pallets and their loads are subject to various risks.
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Conducting enough research about your pallet packaging options is key — and stretch film stands out as a top choice. Also called “pallet wrap,” stretch film is a form of stretchable plastic that warehouses use to wrap pallets. This material always wants to “return” to its original shape — known as “elastic recovery” — so it provides a tight seal for all types of loads.
Interested in learning more about how stretch wrapping your pallets can provide superior load stability, impenetrable weather protection and other advantages? Here are the top benefits of stretch wrapping pallets.
Selecting the right packaging solution for your products is crucial for load stability and containment. For example, roll products like roofing materials and vinyl can remain stationary throughout transport with roll cradles, which are specifically designed to keep rolls in place. That said, you can go even further to ensure your loads stay resilient as they travel from point A to point B.
When you choose stretch wrap film to secure your loads, you can ensure they’re as stable as possible. This packaging type has powerful elastic properties, creating a tight hold on your product that prevents shifting. As your load makes it through the various stages of transportation, the stretch wrap will keep it securely positioned.
Because the stretch film will cover every inch of the load apart from the pallet, you can expect greater product protection, too. There’s no way for moisture and dust to penetrate through the layers of stretch wrap, and loads can’t move out of place thanks to an always-present tight seal. As a result, you get total load containment that safeguards products.
When you invest in more intuitive palletizing methods, you can expect greater cost efficiency, as your inventory will be more secure and protected against damage. Instead of opting for one-size-fits-all options that don’t fully meet your requirements, your team can decide on customized packaging solutions that fit your products exactly, helping you save costs in the long run. For example, at Rollguard®, we offer businesses a simple way to build custom roll cradles for palletizing.
Thanks to stretch wrapping, you can increase the chances of your loads arriving at their destinations in top condition — and boost cost savings — even further. When loads arrive where they need to be with no damage, you save by limiting returns and replacements. Compared to other pallet wrapping methods, such as using strapping, stretch film can provide notable cost benefits — the biggest of which comes from minimizing product losses.
Does preparing loads for shipment have a significant impact on your team’s productivity? Choosing to stretch-wrap pallets can be a helpful way to get your employees back to working on other important duties faster. Additionally, stretch film application is highly streamlined, so you can wrap more pallets in less time.
These benefits are possible through machine pallet wrapping, which involves using automated equipment to wrap pallets with stretch film. Instead of having your employees spend time manually preparing pallets, you can invest in a machine that does the work for them, allowing you to realize the advantages of stretch film while completing palletizing faster. An automated machine can also collect data and provide insights that allow you to boost productivity even more by making process adjustments.
For large warehouses with extensive palletizing needs, stretch film machines can be a solution with a significant return on investment.
As all warehouse operators know, security is a major point of concern when shipping loads. No matter what’s on your pallets, tampering occurring throughout the transportation process is a risk — one that can lead to product losses resulting in expensive replacements. Properly securing your pallets is key to minimizing tampering and theft.
The inherently secure nature of stretch film makes it a go-to choice for increasing load security. This packaging material wraps tightly around the item on the pallet in layers that make it difficult to penetrate. Anyone who might want to tamper with the pallet is much less likely to try because of the wrap’s integrity.
Whether you’re wrapping pallets for shipping or storage, you want to protect them from all types of environmental effects. Anything you ship should be completely protected from rain, snow, mud and other elements — even a few moments outside while being transported from a truck to a warehouse could ruin a load without the right protection. Plus, some stretch film offers protection against ultraviolet light, so you can further safeguard your loads from environmental conditions.
Similarly, stored pallets still need covering to keep moisture and dust away from items. With stretch film, you can confidently shield pallets from environmental effects that put items at risk. Organizing your warehouse properly can also help you keep loads as secure as possible.
Compared to other packaging options, like some types of strapping, stretch film is 100% recyclable, allowing you to make an environmentally conscious choice for your warehouse. This material is made of linear low-density polyethylene, which you can recycle at specific recycling locations in your area.
Additionally, stretch film allows you to secure several items on a pallet at once, so you can save wrapping material, leading to less waste. Combined with other smart packaging methods, such as fiber cradles made from recycled pulp material, you can create a more environmentally friendly palletizing process.
One of the most notable benefits of stretch film is its versatility. When you use stretch wrapping, you can effectively wrap all kinds of loads, even uniquely shaped objects that would be challenging to wrap with other materials or processes. This ability makes stretch wrapping a one-size-fits-all method you can use for every pallet, no matter its arrangement.
The stretch wrapping process is also ideal for customization. In many cases, you can select the color of your stretch film, allowing you to choose transparent or opaque film in different shades based on your needs. There are also ways to customize the wrapping process to best suit your pallets and workflow — you can use equipment to automate wrapping or train your team on manual wrapping methods.
While stretch wrap film offers many benefits for keeping pallets safe and secure during transportation or storage, you may also use other techniques for specific materials, such as roll-based products. From rolls of fabric to medical film to flooring, rolled products require unique packaging to remain in great condition.
Rollguard cradles are an innovative packaging system designed to keep rolled products from shifting. Simply place the fiber cradles on the ends of your pallet, then set the rolls on the crevices. Stack items on the pallet by folding the cradles in half to create double-sided cradles. Depending on the product, you can place several rolls on one pallet.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Pallet Stretch Film. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Stretch film (or stretch wrap) is a plastic film typically manufactured from Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), and is used for pallet wrapping, bundling and securing. This wrapping of a product or pallet of products with stretch wrap helps to protect the item from damage and loss.
Stretch film has two main methods of application:
Additionally, stretch film is made using two main manufacturing methods: blown and cast.
In this article, we’ll explore:
Cast stretch wrap is manufactured using a cast extrusion process. A granular resin is fed into a heated screw barrel, which melts the resin. This melted resin is then fed through a flat narrow slot (also called a die). The sheet of material this creates is then passed over chilled rollers to quickly cool and solidify the film.
The dimensions of the die, as well as how fast the film is pulled away from it, determines the thickness and width of the stretch film.
This cast extrusion manufacturing process results in cast stretch film having a range of benefits:
Blown stretch wrap is manufactured using a blown extrusion process. Similar to cast stretch wrap, a granular resin (and any additives) is fed into a heated screw barrel, which melts the resin. This melted resin is then blown through a circular die, creating a bubble.
The volume of air blown into this tube stretches the tube/bubble out to the desired width, while the speed at which it is being blown through the die determines the thickness. This air also slowly cools the film, with this slow cooling process being one of the reasons for the film’s hazy and dull appearance.
Nip rollers can then flatten this material into a tube that can be reeled for creating bags and pouches, or it can be slit and then reeled for creating a flat sheet of film.
This blown extrusion manufacturing process results in blown stretch film having a range of benefits:
Stretch film is one of the most versatile packaging products on the market, discover more about the benefits of stretch film.
These processes give cast and blown stretch wrap key differences.
No matter which manufacturing method you opt for, Polyflex can provide more environmentally friendly stretch wrap which contains at least 30% Post-Consumer Waste (PCW).
PCW is waste that is left over after it has served its original purpose as a consumer item. By recycling this plastic into new products, we reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill or incinerated; disposal methods that are very harmful to the planet and contribute heavily to climate change.
Find out more about our eco-friendly packaging solutions.
With their unique characteristics and properties giving them different advantages, which stretch wrap is better?
If looking at the industry statistics, one would think cast wrap the clear winner, with 70-80% of organisations opting for it.
However it’s also important to consider the application. Cast stretch film is the best choice for some uses, while blown stretch film is the best choice for others.
For example, blown stretch wrap has higher durability and a high tear and puncture resistance. This makes it the better option for wrapping sharp-edged products and heavier loads.
On the other hand, cast stretch wrap is used more for light products and loads stacked on pallets. It’s clarity makes it the ideal choice when you need to scan barcodes and see labels through the film.
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