Shrink And Stretch Film Versus Corrugated Boxes
Packaging Materials Sri lanka | Investment | Packaging Design | Shipping Protection | Warehousing
When choosing a material to package your products for shipping, there are many options. While corrugated boxes remain a popular choice, those in the know are forgoing this antiquated method for the less costly options of shrink and/or stretch films.
With a significantly lower carbon footprint, these films also result in less of an environmental impact. So what does shrink and stretch film have to offer that corrugated boxes do not? What benefits do stretch and shrink wrap have to offer in regards to sustainability? I invite you to discover the answers to these questions and more, in the article below...
What is Stretch Film?
Stretch film (also known as stretch wrap) is a clear plastic film that expands when stretched and sticks to itself when wrapped around products or objects. It is commonly applied to pallets stacked with products or goods as a form of packaging used to ship said items across the country and the world at large.
It is either applied by hand via manual labor with a stretch wrap dispenser, or is applied via a stretch wrapping machine which applies the wrap in a far more efficient way. Depending upon the gauge (thickness) of the film used and the load containment variables, stretch wrap can be used to package virtually anything securely.
What is Shrink Film?
Shrink film is a clear plastic film that forms to the shape of the product it is wrapped around when heat is applied to it's surface. It is commonly used to package foods such as frozen pizzas, pies and baked goods. Aside from food applications, shrink film is used to package everything from board games and books to toys and tools. There are literally millions of different types of products that shrink film can be used to package.
Why Shrink And Stretch Film Over Corrugated Boxes?
Two words... Carbon. Emissions.
When used together, shrink and stretch films offer a vast improvement on green house gas emissions over corrugated boxes. Because the volume of material per square inch is heavier with corrugated cardboard, the resulting emissions related to the shipping of said material is higher than that of stretch and shrink films.
At the end of the day, despite the various environmental issues with plastics, they are still vastly better for the environment than other common packaging materials. As the technology of plastic evolves, we expect to see the main stream emergence of bio-polymers in the plastic packaging industry in an attempt to remedy these issues.
Until then, shrink and stretch films remain a better choice for the environment when compared to corrugated cardboard, glass and other common packaging materials.
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