An excellent way to ensure your products or packaged goods have the right protection is to use shrink-wrap. But do you know how to choose the best shrink-wrap material? Two common choices are polyolefin and polyethylene. Discover more about these two options and which one best fits your packaging needs.

POLYOLEFIN

Polyolefin, or POF, is a packaging material commonly known for its versatility, durability, and high clarity. Here are some of its benefits:

Highly Resistant to Punctures: If you’re worried about careless handling or other shipping dangers, polyolefin may be the solution you’re looking for. It’s highly puncture-resistant, ensuring your products and packaged items are safe from tears and holes that invite contamination and damage.

Versatility: Because it is highly adaptable, POF is ideal for packaging oddly shaped products or other items that don’t conform to regular shapes.

Affordability: POF is a thin gauge, high-quality packaging material that will fit into any company’s budget. Polyolefin can provide the protection your products need for rates lower than many other packaging materials.

Great Appearance: If you need to ship or package products that consumers want to see, then polyolefin is a highly decorative shrink-wrap material. Items that might require this type of shrink-wrap include toys, books, food, games, or candy.

Ideal for Bundling: Don’t want to spend a lot of money or effort on shrink wrapping multiple individual items that should instead be bundled together? Polyolefin can help with that. Whether you want to bundle customized orders to ship to customers or bundle items to sell as one package (like a 5-pack of sanitary wipes), polyolefin is an ideal choice.

Technological Advancements: Recent innovations in polyolefin production have led to enhanced properties such as improved clarity, higher tensile strength, and better recyclability. These advancements make POF an even more attractive option for businesses looking to optimize their packaging solutions.

POLYETHYLENE

Polyethylene, also known as PE, is a type of polyolefin with its own unique characteristics. This flexible and versatile packaging material comes in various forms for different applications. Two of its common forms are known as LDPE and LLDPE.

LDPE: A low-density polyethylene, LDPE is ideal for larger, heavier items (such as a 24-pack of bottled water). It is noted for its strength and durability. Individualized graphics can also be added to it, making it a good choice for packaging requiring a logo or brand mark. Various levels of thickness are possible, with common gauges ranging from 1.5 mil to 2.5 mil.

LLDPE: This polyethylene material, known as linear low-density polyethylene, is related to its LDPE counterpart. However, it has enhanced strength properties. It can withstand hard impacts without tearing or puncturing. LLDPE is great for many applications, LDPE and LLDPE are often blended together to create the optimum characteristics that you might be looking for in a shrink-wrap.

Technological Advancements: The latest developments in polyethylene production include advanced blends of LDPE and LLDPE that offer superior strength and flexibility. These innovations ensure that PE shrink-wrap can handle more demanding packaging needs while maintaining clarity and durability. Additionally, newer formulations have improved the environmental profile of PE shrink-wrap by incorporating more recyclable content and enhancing biodegradability.

Find the Right Stretch Film Solution for Your Packaging Processes

Looking for some high-quality stretch film and shrink-wrap materials? Group O can help. We offer a large range of packaging materials, including shrink-wrap, stretch film, and tape. Please get in touch today to let us know what you need.