Quick answer: No, although they’re related. Both are thin plastic films that cling to themselves without tape. But pallet wrap is thicker (usually 17 to 23 micron against about 10 micron for kitchen film), much wider and longer on the roll, and made from a plastic that’s designed to be stretched hard and hold a heavy load together. Kitchen cling film is made to cover food. Pallet wrap is made to secure goods for storage and transport. That’s why pallet wrap is sometimes called industrial cling film.
It’s easy to see why people mix them up. Both are thin, stretchy plastic films that stick to themselves without tape or glue. That’s why pallet wrap is so often called industrial cling film, pallet cling film or, in black, black cling film. But the two are made for very different jobs, and swapping one for the other rarely works out.
What they have in common
Both films cling. Wrap either one around something and it holds onto itself, so there’s no need for tape, heat or a sealer. Both come on rolls, and both are usually made from polyethylene-type plastics, although some kitchen cling film is PVC. That’s roughly where the similarity ends.
The differences that matter
| Kitchen cling film | Hand pallet wrap | |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | About 10 micron | Usually 17 to 23 micron |
| Roll width | About 300mm | 400mm or 500mm |
| Roll length | Usually tens of metres | Usually 250m or more |
| Material | Polyethylene or PVC | LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) |
| Made for | Covering food | Holding loads together in storage and transport |
The biggest difference is strength. Pallet wrap is made from LLDPE, a plastic designed to be stretched hard as you wrap and then pull back against the load. That pull-back is what holds a stack of cartons together as one unit. Kitchen film tears long before it could do that job. Our guide on LLDPE vs LDPE explains why the material matters.
Can you use pallet wrap as cling film?
Not on food. Unless a pallet wrap is specifically certified for food contact, keep it on packaged goods rather than directly on food. Wrapping boxes, trays or crates that already hold food is fine, and that’s how it’s used right across the food supply chain. Our guide to food grade stretch film explains when film needs to be approved for food contact.
Pallet wrap is also far too big for a kitchen. A 400mm roll with 250m of film on it is made for pallets, furniture and stock, not sandwiches.
Can you use cling film instead of pallet wrap?
Only for very small, light jobs, like holding two small boxes together. On a pallet it won’t take enough stretch to hold the load, and you’d get through an enormous amount of it. Even for a house move, proper stretch wrap is quicker and far stronger. Our guide to stretch wrap for house moves and furniture covers how to use it.
What about industrial cling film and black cling film?
These are just other names for pallet wrap. Buyers and suppliers use them interchangeably with stretch film, stretch wrap and shrink wrap. Strictly speaking, shrink wrap is a different film that tightens with heat, and our stretch wrap vs shrink wrap guide explains the difference. Black cling film is simply opaque black pallet wrap, used to keep the contents of a pallet out of sight.
Other uses for pallet wrap
Because it’s strong, clingy and leaves no sticky residue, pallet wrap gets used for plenty of jobs besides pallets:
- wrapping sofas, mattresses and chairs for a house move or storage
- holding drawers and doors shut on furniture in transit
- bundling lengths of pipe, timber or tubing together
- keeping dust off stock, tools and equipment
- protecting boxes from rain on the way to the van
For jobs like these, extended core rolls are handy, as you hold the ends of the core and wrap without a dispenser.
Is it recyclable?
Clean pallet wrap is usually recyclable through commercial waste services, as it’s close to pure polyethylene. Most household collections won’t take it, though. Our guide on whether stretch wrap is recyclable explains how to keep it clean and where it can go. Our own film also contains at least 30% post-consumer recycled plastic.
Which one do you need?
If you’re wrapping pallets, parcels, furniture or stock, you want pallet wrap. Our clear pallet wrap comes in 17 or 23 micron and our black pallet wrap in 23 micron, all in boxes of six 400mm x 250m rolls, with free delivery on every order to mainland GB.
FAQs
Is industrial cling film the same as pallet wrap?
Yes. Industrial cling film, pallet cling film, stretch film and stretch wrap are all names for the same kind of product.
How thick is pallet wrap compared with cling film?
Kitchen cling film is usually around 10 micron. Hand pallet wrap is usually 17 to 23 micron, so roughly twice as thick or more.
Can I buy pallet wrap for home use?
Yes. It’s popular for house moves and storage. Our rolls come in boxes of six, which is plenty for most moves.
Is black cling film the same as black pallet wrap?
Yes. It’s opaque black stretch film, used to hide what’s on a pallet or in a load.
Related guides: what micron, mu and gauge mean, where to buy pallet wrap in the UK, cast vs blown stretch film.