Stretch wrap film is a stretchable plastic film you wrap around a palletised load to hold it together for storage and transport. It grips the load with its own tension, not heat. That single property is what makes it the standard way to secure boxes, bundles and awkward goods on a pallet.
This guide covers the fundamentals in one place: what stretch film is, how it works, the types available, what the terminology means, and how to pick a film that suits your loads. It is written for people who wrap pallets by hand and want to get it right without overspending on film or losing loads in transit.
What Is Stretch Wrap Film?
Stretch wrap film, also called pallet wrap or stretch film, is a thin, highly stretchable plastic, usually made from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). You wrap it around a load so everything travels and stores as one stable unit.
The key word is stretch. As you apply the film it elongates, then tries to pull back to its original length. That pull is what holds the load. No heat is involved, which is the main thing that separates stretch film from shrink wrap.
Our film contains 30% or more recycled content, supplied as hand film for manual wrapping. Browse our full stretch film range to see current stock and pricing.
How Stretch Film Works
Three properties do the work.
Stretch. Good film elongates a long way before it reaches its limit. The further you can safely stretch it, the more pallets you get from a roll and the lower your cost per pallet.
Cling. The film is tacky, so each layer sticks to the one before it as you wrap, locking the wrap together.
Retention. After stretching, the film wants to contract. That retained tension is what keeps a load tight over hours and days of handling. A film that stretches well but holds poorly will loosen in transit.
Match these three to your loads and wrapping becomes predictable. Light, uniform loads behave very differently from heavy or sharp-edged ones.
Key Stretch Film Terms
Micron (µ or mu). The metric measure of film thickness. One micron is a thousandth of a millimetre. Our film comes in 17 Micron and 23 Micron. Higher micron means a thicker film with more material in it.
Gauge. An older thickness measure still printed on some films. It measures the same thing as micron on a different scale, so a conversion is sometimes needed.
Core. The cardboard tube at the centre of the roll. A standard core is made to sit on a dispenser. An extended core has tube sticking out at each end to give you built-in handles, so you can wrap by hand without a dispenser.
Cast film. Film made by the cast extrusion process. It is clear, quiet to unwind and has reliable cling. Our film is cast.
Blown film. Film made by the blown process. It is tougher against tearing but noisier to apply and less clear.
Pre-stretched film. Film stretched during manufacture so it applies with less effort.
Load containment. The holding force the film applies once wrapped. This is what decides whether a pallet stays intact in transit.
Hand Film vs Machine Film
Hand film is applied manually, either with a dispenser or by hand using an extended core. It suits lower and mixed volumes and varied loads. We supply hand film.
Machine film comes on larger rolls made for automatic wrapping machines and suits high, repetitive volumes. If you run a wrapping machine, that is the format you need. For manual wrapping, hand film is the right choice.
Cast vs Blown
Cast film is clear, quiet and easy to apply, which is why it is the common choice for hand wrapping. Blown film is tougher on sharp or heavy loads but costs more, unwinds noisily and is less transparent. For most manual wrapping, cast film does the job.
Clear vs Black Film
Clear film lets you see the product and read labels through the wrap, which helps with picking and scanning. We supply clear film in 17 Micron and 23 Micron.
Black film helps conceal what is on the pallet, which is useful for tidiness and for keeping contents out of plain sight. It does not make a load secure or tamper-proof; it just makes the contents harder to see. We supply black film in 23 Micron.
Standard vs Extended Core
A standard core is designed to run on a dispenser. An extended core has handles built into the roll, so an operator can wrap a pallet by hand with no dispenser at all. Both are available on our film. If you wrap occasionally, or in more than one location, extended core saves buying a dispenser for each spot.
17 Micron vs 23 Micron: Which Thickness?
Thickness is the specification buyers ask about most.
17 Micron uses less plastic and costs less per roll. It suits lighter, stable, uniform loads, such as standard boxed goods that sit squarely on the pallet. Our 17 Micron roll weighs about 1.87kg.
23 Micron is our heaviest hand roll. It has more material, so it copes better with heavier pallets and more demanding manual wrapping where a thinner film would struggle. Our 23 Micron roll weighs about 2.43kg. When you are not sure which to pick, 23 Micron is the safer choice.
Buying the thinnest film to save a few pence per roll backfires if loads shift or the film splits mid-wrap. Match the film to the load.
Roll Sizes and What to Check
Our rolls are 400mm wide and 250m long, supplied 6 rolls per carton. When you compare films, compare the usable length and the roll weight, not just the price per roll. Published length and weight tell you exactly how much film you are getting, which is the only fair way to compare cost per pallet between suppliers. A cheaper roll with less film on it or a shorter length is not cheaper per pallet.
How to Choose the Right Film
Four questions cover most decisions.
How heavy and stable are your loads? Lighter and stable points to 17 Micron. Heavier or more demanding points to 23 Micron.
Are there sharp edges or irregular shapes? Go heavier.
Do you wrap with a dispenser or by hand? Standard core for a dispenser, extended core for wrapping by hand.
Do you need to see the contents or conceal them? Clear to see, black to help conceal.
Common Uses for Stretch Film
Hand stretch film is used to unitise boxed goods on pallets, bundle awkward items together, hold loads steady for transport, and protect goods from dust in storage. It is also handy for wrapping furniture during moves. Its low cost and reliability are why it is the default way to secure a pallet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is stretch wrap the same as pallet wrap?
Yes. Stretch wrap, pallet wrap and stretch film all describe the same stretchable film used to secure loads on pallets.
Is stretch film the same as shrink wrap?
No. Stretch film holds a load using its own tension and needs no heat. Shrink wrap uses heat to shrink around a product. They are different products for different jobs.
Should I use 17 Micron or 23 Micron?
Use 17 Micron for lighter, stable, uniform loads and 23 Micron for heavier or more demanding pallets. If you are unsure, 23 Micron is the safer pick.
Do I need a dispenser?
Not if you use extended core film, which has built-in handles. Standard core film is made to run on a dispenser.
Is stretch film recyclable?
Polyethylene stretch film is widely recyclable through commercial soft-plastic recycling streams, though not usually through household recycling. Our film also contains 30% or more post-consumer recycled content — the threshold for Plastic Packaging Tax exemption.
How much film do I need per pallet?
It depends on pallet size, load height, number of wraps and how far you stretch the film. Comparing usable roll length and weight is the reliable way to work out cost per pallet.
Conclusion
Stretch film looks basic, but the gap between the right film and the wrong one shows up in loose loads, damaged stock and wasted spend. Understand how stretch, cling and retention work together, pick the thickness that matches your loads, choose standard or extended core for how you wrap, and clear or black for whether you need to see the contents. Get those calls right and wrapping becomes something you no longer have to think about.