Eco-Responsible Stretch Films : Shaping the Future of Sustainable Packaging
Eco-responsible stretch films: an innovative solution to reduce environmental impact while ensuring logistical efficiency, product safety, and cost reduction.
Eco-responsible stretch films: an innovative solution to reduce environmental impact while ensuring logistical efficiency, product safety, and cost reduction.
Plastic stretch film is essential to modern logistics, ensuring the smooth movement of goods, limiting product damage and loss, reducing load tampering. It also, however, has significant environmental costs. Producing one kilogram of plastic stretch film emits about 2.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide, and low recycling rates mean much of it ends up in landfills. Plastics are a major pollutant, with packaging accounting for 40% of the 353 million tonnes of global plastic waste in 2019 (1). In EU average plastic packaging recycling ratio is over 40%. (2)
Hopefully, there are now a variety of eco-responsible stretch films that can help businesses reduce negative impacts on the environment.
What is an eco-responsible stretch film and what are its technical characteristics?
Eco-responsible stretch film can help mitigate some of the environmental costs of the product. It is designed to package products and product pallets in an eco-responsible way. It accomplishes that in one of two ways: by using less film to secure the products or by using recycled and/or renewable materials in the production of the stretch film. Both options reduce plastic waste, as well as the emissions and carbon footprints associated with packaging processes. While stretch film made from recycled materials does not directly cut waste it helps reduce the use of virgin raw materials.
What are the differences between recycled, paper-based, and biodegradable stretch films?
There are several varieties of eco-responsible stretch film that can reduce the environmental impact of your packaging.
1. Stretch film that contains recycled materials. Stretch films made with recycled materials present one of the sustainable options for plastic production.
Two types of recycled resins are used: post-industrial (PIR), derived from production residues, and post-consumer (PCR), derived from waste generated by end-users or consumers. In many countries, only the use of PCR material is considered to be material recycling. PCR, collected, sorted, and cleaned, is repurposed into films with recycled content ranging from 30% to nearly 100%. These films provide environmental and financial benefits by reducing the need for virgin plastics, lowering carbon emissions, and decreasing plastic waste sent to landfills. Antalis showcases these innovations with products like Master’in stretch films and manually stretchable recycled film, which combine recycled content with reliable performance, enabling companies to save materials, cut costs, and maintain wrapping quality.
2. Paper-based stretch film is made from 100% renewable and recyclable paper fibres. It can take the form of stretchable crepe paper, slotted paper, or flat paper and may require glue to complete the cycle. In some cases, paper-based stretch films can require specific packaging and pallet-wrapping equipment.
3. Renewable Bio-based stretch film is made from renewable resources such as sugarcane, cornstarch, or tall oil—a by-product of paper manufacturing. These films perform similarly to conventional stretch films but offer an eco-responsible alternative by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Like traditional plastic stretch films, bio-based versions can be collected and recycled together, streamlining the recycling process and supporting sustainable packaging practices.
What are the advantages of Technologically advanced stretch films?
Nowadays, it is possible to achieve the greatest economic and ecological victory using technically advanced stretch films.
The combination of innovative formulations, superior raw materials, and modern extrusion techniques allows for the production of thin films with outstanding mechanical properties. Technologically advanced stretch films include high-performance machine films with a stretch capability of 300% or more, as well as pre-stretched hand and machine films, and rigid (stiff) films. These films can wrap pallets with a thickness ranging from 2.5 to 10 microns, offering excellent stability and holding power around the products. This approach can reduce the amount of plastic used by up to two or three times
What are the most important criteria to consider when purchasing a stretch film?
Less is better when it comes to the use of plastic packaging stretch film included. However, strength and stability remain crucial characteristics for stretch films to ensure safe and secure transportation of goods.
Key criteria to consider include :
- Cost. It is always a crucial consideration for businesses. More expensive stretch films can reduce operating margins and hurt the competitive profile of companies.
- Strength. How strong do you need stretch films to be? They should be chosen depending on the nature and heaviness of the loads they are securing. New products like fiber-reinforced mono-material films can increase tear resistance and improve stability while using less material than traditional films.
- Environmental profile. Your choice of stretch film can be a significant part of your environmental profile. Does your film have high recycled material content? Can it be made with renewable resources like paper or other plant-based materials like cornstarch or sugarcane?
What types of films do you recommend?
There is now a wide variety of reliable, cost-effective and eco-responsible stretch films to meet specific business needs.
- Fiber reinforced stretch films are particularly good for heavy and/or high value loads. The fibers make the film more puncture and tear resistant than traditional films and allow you to use less film to secure the same load efficiently. The fibers are also made from the same polyethylene making the film easily recyclable. At Antalis, we have a fiber reinforced stretch film called “ Plug-n-play”.
- Coreless Film: An Innovative Approach. Coreless film introduces a new method of winding stretch film without the need for cardboard cores.
These cores can add a surprising amount of weight—30 to 48 kg per pallet—and about €150 in additional costs per pallet. By eliminating cores, this solution reduces both material waste and handling inefficiencies.
- Paper stretch or wrapping paper is a viable option in many cases. It is made from 100% renewable and recyclable materials and can be used in manual and machine wrapping processes.
Conclusion
Operating eco-responsibly offers a competitive edge in both regulations and marketing. Switching to a more eco-responsible stretch film can contribute to enhancing your environment profile. Options include high-performance films that use less material, those with recycled content, or renewable materials, providing efficient, sustainable solutions.
If you want to know more about our products, contact our expert : Gerald Schuetz, Group Product Manager Film, gerald.schuetz@antalis.com
