Stretch Wrap – Safety, Stability & Sustainability

In recent years, the race to zero micron has accelerated with stretch wrap cost reduction becoming a greater driver than pallet stability for many users. The once old reliable, sturdy, 23 micron is almost a thing of the past as film providers push down gauged thinner films and the latest fads in a bid to gain competitive edge over their rivals. In a lot of these cases the film is sold solely on tonnage cost and yield with little or no consideration given to load holding. This has led to some very expensive accidents as well as a number of depots, multiples and end users now rejecting unsafe looking loads. The primary reason for wrapping a pallet is ensuring the goods reach their destination safely and in good condition. Sadly, this is now an afterthought in a lot of circumstances.

Improving Stability Standards

The EUMOS 40509 directive listed in the European Road Worthiness Package outlines the acceptable levels of permanent and reversible load deformations during load transportation. To achieve a stable stretch wrapped pallet, three things must be harmonised, the load itself, the wrapper settings and the stretch wrap properties.

As enforcement of EU directives takes effect across all sectors of the end of line packaging process, unsafe loads will be tackled which will then add greater incentive to the quality of stretch wrap being used and how it is being applied. This will drive greater development in quality stretch wrap films which will aid pallet stability & reduce the focus on simply reducing micron of the film in use. This re-education of both buyer and supplier will also weed out some poor quality stretch wrap films which are simply not fit for purpose in a large number of cases.

Optimize Your Pallet

Here, at NPP we offer bespoke Sustainability Wrap Audits for our customers which include optimising the correct film in conjunction with the load as well as the machine. Our primary focus is on ensuring the load is delivered in a safe manner. We assess every customer and every machine individually. We have a number of films in our repertoire which can tackle any given scenario. During assessment, we often find we can dramatically reduce customers’ environmental impact without compromising load stability.

To arrange your Sustainability Wrap Audit, please contact our technical team at sales@npp.ie or call us at 01 880 92 99.

Click here for more information on our unique high-efficiency stretch film – Fiber Film.