From a sustainable packaging standpoint, securing boxes to a pallet for shipment is a choice of lesser evils. Among the leading options – steel strapping, polyester strapping, polypropylene strapping, and stretch wrap – stretch wrap is probably best, since it normally requires the least amount of mass per application.
How to Make Stretch Wrap Film Work with Heavy Palletized Loads
When corrugated boxes are heavy and/or dense – for instance, when shipping nuts and bolts – stretch wrap does not exert enough holding force on the palletized load to keep the load securely in place. For these applications, shippers will either replace stretch film with strapping, or use stretch wrap in conjunction with strapping.
However, by “roping” stretch film – gathering the film together in your hand as you walk around the load with a hand held stretch wrapper – you will achieve a strapping-like effect and securely hold heavy boxes in place. Simply gather the film in your hand, and feed it slowly to the pallet as you walk around it. You will quickly notice that the roped film tightly holds each layer of corrugated boxes in place. The roping technique is also useful for irregular loads or unboxed materials such as furniture or fabricated metal parts.
Roping eliminates the need for shippers to use strapping or use two materials to wrap pallets. The result is less secondary packaging material pushed into the recycling or waste stream.
High Yield, Hand Stretch Wrap Now Available at www.GlobeGuardProducts.com
High yield, hand stretch wrap film is now available at our Globe Guard e-store. We think it’s the greenest option out there for stretch wrapping pallets.
