Page 66 - The Inside Scoop Archive

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Your Stretch Film Should be Green!

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting of the CCTI, Composite Can & Tube Institute,
being held in Williamsburg, VA. Besides getting to visit old Williamsburg and historic Jamestown, I got to
visit with some great people whose companies make the cores that we use in the production of stretch film
and other plastic film products.

On Sunday morning after breakfast, I had the opportunity to speak briefly to the group about the
importance of using Green stretch film. This is a subject that should be important to every stretch film
user. When we talk about Green stretch film, we are not talking about a color in the film such as red, blue,
green etc. Actually most Green stretch film is clear in color. Green stretch films are those that are
environmentally friendly. This includes both the capacity for recycling, and just as importantly, the
reduction of film from the waste stream by the use of thinner films.

The New Technology stretch films that we talk about so often are Green in that they are both recyclable,
and also thinner and stronger than conventional films. I did a quick survey and found that while 75% of
stretch film users are still wrapping their pallets with 80 gauge films, our NPS average film gauge is rapidly
dropping to less than 50 gauge. The most popluar machine film we sell is the 13 micron ( 51 gauge ) Infinity
PX. Of course we have the full range of film gauges available to our customers, but that is the most popular
one across the playing field. Recently we have had customers start using high performance 42 and 45 gauge
machine films. Our most popular hand wrap stretch films are the 47 gauge PX and the 42 gauge PX2.

What makes these stretch films Green? Green is using less film to accomplish the same performance level
as a thicker film. Green is removing substantial pounds of stretch film from the waste stream because you
never had to use it in the first place. For example, when you use a 45 gauge machine film that is 20" x
10,250' instead of an 80 gauge 20" x 6,000', you are taking 16.8 pounds of plastic out of the waste stream
for every roll of the 80 gauge you would have used. That is 672 less pounds of waste for every pallet of
film you are using. Likewise, when you use PX2 hand wrap that is 42 gauge 18" x 1,500' instead of 80 gauge
18" x 1,500' you are taking 16.4 pounds of plastic out of the waste stream for every case of hand wrap you
use. That is 787 less pounds of film for every 48 case pallet used. In my opinion, companies who use heavy
gauge stretch films instead of the thinner and stronger green films should be fined for being polluters.

But isn't it more expensive to use Green environment friendly stretch films? Absolutely not! Just the
opposite, green films cost less to use than conventional stretch films. Recently one of the CCTI member
plants changed from a 63 gauge 20" x 6,000' New Technology stretch film ( they had already make the
change from 80 gauge to 63 gauge a year or more before ) to the new generation 45 gauge Stratos TM
stretch film that is 45 gauge 20" x 10,250'. Their cost savings was $ 8.75 for every 6,000' feet of film
they use, or about 25%. The total cost savings to this plant since changing from the 80 gauge 20", to the
63 gauge 20", to the 45 gauge 20" came to 45.73% documented savings. They are getting the same
performance level today with the 45 gauge Stratos TM stretch film that they got several years ago with
the 80 gauge film, but are paying a documented 45.73% less to wrap a pallet. Several other CCTI core

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