The argument for ditching stretch wrap

Millions of metres of plastic wrap are used and disposed of annually in the supply chain. But what if there was a more sustainable, and effective solution that doesn’t add to plastic waste?

Goplasticpallets.com has released the multi-purpose, plastic folding Sleeve Pack as a non-disposable alternative. Sleeve Packs, such as CabCube, AkyPak, and GoTripBox ranges, comprise of three plastic components — a strong pallet base, a foldable sleeve, and a secure fitted lid. They are designed with storage in mind and create a strong unit that offers consistently high levels of product protection in transit and storage.

Protection

While pallet wrap can protect goods from dust, dirt, and moisture, the thin Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) wrap cannot match the protection offered by a High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Sleeve Pack. Pallet wrap is susceptible to cuts, tears, and rips. Any damage to the plastic will reduce its effectiveness in protecting and securing goods and leave it open to the elements. This leads to damaged contents and can cause accidents and injury if items fall off the pallet.

The cost of damaged goods has two significant impacts for businesses. Not only is there the financial outlay of having to provide replacement products, it can also be very costly in terms of the damaging a company’s reputation.

Sleeve Packs are quicker to fill and unload

When it comes to fulfilling orders and keeping up with consumer demand, you need a quick and efficient process for preparing, packing, and distributing goods. 

Assembling a Sleeve Pack takes less than a minute, and once the sleeve is in place, the drop-down door allows the container to be filled easily. Once filled and the lid placed on top, the unit is ready to be sent on its way.

The time it takes to fill a wooden pallet and Sleeve Pack will be similar. However, manually wrapping a stacked pallet is very time-consuming – taking far longer than slotting a sleeve in place and fitting the lid. Plastic pellet wrap needs to be secured to the pallet and stretched and tensioned around the load completing several rotations of the pallet to ensure the pallet is adequately wrapped. Whether it is applied by hand or by machine this doesn't guarantee the process will be any quicker than the Sleeve Pack option.

Of course, that is only half of the process. Once the goods have been transported, they need to be unwrapped. Then there is the case of tidying and ensuring the enormous volume of loose plastic is disposed of so that it doesn't become a trip hazard.

Sleeve Packs are stackable 

Sleeve Packs can easily be stacked on top of each other thanks to the recesses on the lids. If the contents of your Sleeve Pack weigh 500kg or less, you can stack two boxes high. There are no concerns about the contents being crushed because the base and lid provide a solid platform. 

Conversely, plastic-wrapped wooden pallets are not designed to be stacked. Placing wooden pallets on top of goods will inevitably damage the contents. When picking orders of mixed sizes and shapes, there will rarely be a completely even surface to stack onto. Plus, there are no guarantees that the wooden pallet you are using is consistent in shape. Runners can be uneven, splintered, or have protruding nails which can pierce, rip, and tear the plastic wrap.

With the inability to stack wooden pallets, you are limited in the number of pallets you can transport at once. Sleeve Packs give you the potential to transport double the number of goods.

Sleeve Packs reduce waste in the supply chain

Approximately, it takes a football-sized amount of plastic pallet wrap to secure a normal UK-sized pallet. Once the pallet has reached its destination, the pallet is unwrapped, and the plastic is often thrown away because it can’t be reused and is difficult to recycle.

Generally, the plastic wrap needs to be baled using a waste baler or waste compactor before being taken to a recycling facility. Even then, many recycling machines have trouble grinding down LDPE as it could become stuck in the teeth, causing damage to the machinery and creating more problems than solutions.

Imagine if all 250 million wooden pallets in circulation in the UK were stretch-wrapped. Then imagine this on a global scale. It’s staggering to think about how much plastic waste is created in the supply chain every year.

But with Sleeve Packs, there is no single-use plastic. This robust and reusable container will last for many cycles over a number of years and will never require any part of it to be thrown away. Even when the time comes to replace the Sleeve Pack unit we can take back and fully recycle the old one.

It’s time to make the switch

The benefits of switching from the single-use plastic pallet wrap to a reusable and long-lasting Sleeve Pack are clear. Sleeve Packs provide you with better protection for goods, speedier shipments, better space optimisation, and help you reduce plastic waste in the supply chain.

For more information, visit www.goplasticpallets.com