Is sustainable pallet wrap an option?

Sustainable pallet wrap could be the solution that the packaging industry is looking for. By helping to minimise plastic waste entering landfill and end damage to the planet before it’s too late, this high performance eco friendly pallet wrap offers the solution.

There are a number of innovations that harness the latest in technological advances, from high performance stretch wrap to paper pallet wrap. If every packaging operation embraced green technologies, the future of sustainable pallet wrap – and the planet – can be a bright one. Alongside the multiple benefits of being more sustainable, these modern technologies and products can boost your profits.

Why existing pallet wrap practices are bad for the environment

How many tonnes of plastic is your packaging operation sending into the waste stream?

In total, the UK uses around 150,000 tonnes of plastic pallet wrap every year, and much of this will head straight to landfill. The waste is even worse when considering wrap that is not even used on pallets – as much as 3,850 tonnes of residual film on spent cores in the food and beverage industry alone.[1]

These numbers should be of concern to everyone and for the future of our planet. It’s essential that existing pallet wrap practices are changed to reduce the amount of plastic used, discarded, and entering landfill.

Paper pallet wrap

A recent innovation, paper pallet wrap joins a number of other paper and cardboard-based packaging materials, like paper tape and void fill. Although it’s not suitable for loads with sharp corners, stretchable paper wrap is ideal if you are wrapping flat, homogenous pallets: boxed products, wrapped bottles, jars and others. With high puncture resistance and recyclable at the end of its life – unlike much plastic wrap – eco friendly pallet wrap such as paper pallet wrap could well be the future of pallet wrap.

High performance pallet wrap

High performance plastic pallet wrap may not be your first thought when thinking of sustainable pallet wrap, but it offers a substantial number of benefits – to both your operation and the environment.

Although made of virgin plastic, a high-performance film like iWrap can reduce plastic use by 40% on average. Unlike inferior quality counterparts, this ultra-thin, ultra-strong film only needs one wrap around a pallet to achieve strength and security for your products. Eliminating the common multiple pallet rewraps on their journey from warehouse to final destination.  As each roll yields more due to its pre-stretch capabilities,  pallet wrap spend is reduced as well as plastic use, making this a great eco friendly alternative.

Watch our quick video on plastic reduction using a high performance sustainable pallet wrap:

To find out more about  the opportunities to make a positive impact on the environment, download our free iWrap eGuide  today. Take a look at the operational, financial, and sustainable benefits to optimising your pallet wrapping operation that will help you in your journey to a more efficient, successful, and sustainable future.

If you would like to talk to us about improving your palletising, just pop your details in the form below.

Blog form

 
*
[1] https://wrap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-09/WRAP-Optimisation%20of%20pallet%20wrapping%20film%20FINAL%20FOR%20WEB.pdf
/by

What is a pallet wrap audit and why is it important?

A pallet wrap audit is a valuable tool for understanding the improvements your operation can benefit from to boost efficiency – both immediately and for the future. Whether you undertake the audit yourself, or invite an expert into your warehouse, it is a valuable insight into every detail of your pallet wrapping operation.

What is a pallet wrap audit?

At its simplest, a pallet wrap audit is an inspection of your pallet wrap processes. It investigates every aspect of the operation, including:

  • Finances
  • Time spent wrapping pallets
  • Machinery
  • Pallets
  • Type of film
  • And how these work with your product to ensure safe delivery

By analysing each of these areas, you receive a comprehensive understanding of where to invest time and attention to improve your operations. . Including the ones easily overlooked in day-to-day tasks.

DIY pallet wrap audit

To carry out an audit yourself, begin with the basics. Here is a brief overview of the types of questions to ask your team:

  • How many pallets are we wrapping each hour, each day, each month?
  • How much film are we using to wrap each pallet? And how much of this is unnecessary and sent to landfill?
  • Have we investigated other ways of improving our operation, like updated or recalibrated machinery or high-performance pallet wrap?

These initial answers provide valuable insight and highlight areas for improvement.

What can an audit do for your business?

Pallet wrap audit

A pallet wrap audit report

A pallet wrap audit is your first step to improve packaging processes and efficiency. It is a valuable tool to know where to concentrate time and resources.

Because we know that each pallet and product is different, we tailor each audit to each organisation. Taking the time to understand the needs of your operation, we also make the audit as non-intrusive as possible so interruption to production is minimised.

During an audit, we use your existing machinery, pallets, and film to wrap a load in the same way as you do, every day. We then wrap an identical pallet using our recommended film and your recalibrated machinery (if necessary) so that you can see, side by side, the tangible difference that a few simple changes can make. Clearly demonstrating the numerous benefits of applying best practice to optimise your operation.

In summary, a pallet wrap audit will give you:

  • An overview of your current processes
  • A calculation of your current plastic use
  • A complete like for like comparison with a recommended stretch film product
  • A report on your Plastic Pallet Tax associated costs based on your existing pallet wrap and what your cost reduction could look like with a recommended high performance pallet wrap

Watch our video that explains exactly what you can expect on the day of the audit

Harness the power to change

We know that some changes require a sizable investment – especially if purchasing modern technology, equipment and machinery. Every recommendation is accompanied by a cost / benefit analysis so you can clearly see the return – whether it is saving money, improving efficiencies, reducing plastic waste and more.

We also know that, in a busy packaging environment, dedicating the time to review operations is always difficult. A pallet wrap audit quickly delivers the insights you need so you can demonstrate your journey to best practice and map out the positive changes that your organisation can make.

Get in touch today if you would like our experts to carry out a free pallet wrap audit at your facility. Disruption-free and sensitive to your day-to-day operations, we help you understand the steps necessary to optimise your processes.

Find out how much you can save, just click here to start your cost and plastic saving journey!

Blog form

 
*
/by