Stretch films

The UK Plastic Packaging Tax introduced in April 2022 imposes a £200 per tonne levy on manufactured or imported plastic packaging materials that contain less than 30% certified recycled content.

Yorkshire Packaging have been working closely with our manufacturing sites for a number of years to develop and bring to market a range of flexible films that contain over 30% and as much as 70% recycled content which are exempt from the tax. Look for the green logo stating 'Also available with recycled content' on our packaging material webpages to identify the conforming products.

A blown film is created when a thick layer of extruded film emerges from a circular die and a large bubble of air is blown inside. The volume of the bubble and the original diameter and thickness of the extruded tube determine the ultimate thickness of the material. The vertical bubble, which may be many feet tall, allows the film to cool gradually as it is pulled up by rollers which then collapse the bubble and control the thin, flat tube of film as it is wound.

Cast films are produced through a linear die and ooze out onto large diameter chilling rollers. Depending on the original thickness of extrusion, sometimes the film is thinned to the target gauge by winding the resulting film faster than it is extruded. This is a horizontal process. Cast stretch films are the most common type of stretch films.

Cast films boast exceptional clarity and shine, which is useful in warehouses that use barcode scanners to identify pallets. They have excellent cling, high strength and high resist tear propagation. Their stretch capacity is up to 300% and their differential tack gives them great pallet holding properties. A low unwind noise makes cast films ideal for use in quieter working environments. By contrast, blown films have a maximum stretch of 250%, yet still offer high strength and puncture resistance. Available in clear, blue or black they have a high tack outer face and low tack inner face for elevated levels of cling. Either type of manufactured film lends itself to hand wrap and machine applications.

Stretch wrap, or pallet wrap, is used to secure items that are stacked together on a pallet prior to transportation or storage, in order to provide protection and stability. Stretch film is quite literally stretched to its maximum capacity around a load and uses its adhesive surface to cling to itself as it is wound round. The tension that is created by the elasticised film then maintains the shape and format of the bundled structures. This process is quite different to shrink film, which uses the application of heat to constrict itself around the form of an item to produce a complete seal around it.

We have consistently achieved 'AA' grade BRC certification in the Global Standard for Storage and Distribution for many years, something which we know is of paramount importance to our customers. Our stretch film manufacturing sites are also BRC certified. Certificates are available upon request.

A call-off order is a fantastic facility we use at YPS to ensure that we always have your film ready for just when you need it! It offers our customers flexibility and freedom by reserving their shrink film in our large 20,000 sq ft warehouse, with the convenience of paying for it as they take it. All that is needed is a purchase order for an agreed amount of shrink film, from which amounts can be taken as and when required, until the purchase order has been completely fulfilled. This call-off facility may help some customers delay price increases due to changes in the market, when arranged with their YPS account manager.