Stretch wrap is an elastic plastic film wound around palletised loads to bind cartons and bags firmly together, preventing shifting and damage during road, rail or sea transport.
In trade practice
For frozen and chilled goods, buyers and logistics teams require films rated for low temperatures, as standard films can crack in cold stores or reefer containers. Wrapping patterns, number of layers and overlap percentage are often set out in pallet specifications. A frequent error is using ambient-grade film for frozen loads, which fails at sub-zero temperatures. Pallet integrity is checked at loading and again at border inspection points.
In a specification
Pallet specifications may state minimum film gauge, temperature rating and wrapping pattern, with photographic evidence of wrapped pallets sometimes required for claims purposes.