What is Stretch Wrap (Pallet Wrap)?

Stretch wrap, also called pallet wrap or stretch film, is a thin plastic film that is stretched around a load and clings to itself. As the film tries to return to its original length it squeezes the load inward, locking cartons to the pallet so nothing shifts in transit. Most Australian hand wrap is 20µm to 25µm thick.

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How stretch wrap actually works

Stretch wrap does its job through two properties, not one.

• Elongation. The film is made from LLDPE, a plastic that stretches a long way before it tears. A roll of hand wrap can be pulled to well over twice its original length as you walk it around a pallet.
• Elastic recovery. Once applied, the film keeps trying to shrink back. That stored tension is what holds the load together, and it is measured as containment force.

A third property makes it practical: cling. Additives in the film make each layer stick to the layer beneath it, so the wrap seals to itself without tape, heat or adhesive. It does not stick strongly to cartons, which is why the film peels off cleanly at the other end.

This is the key difference between stretch wrap and every other load-securing product. Strapping and tape hold a load at specific points. Stretch wrap applies pressure evenly around the entire load, which is why it works on irregular, mixed and lightweight pallets that strapping would crush or slip off.

Stretch wrap is not shrink wrap

The two names get used interchangeably and they are different products. Stretch wrap is applied cold under tension, and the tension alone holds the load. Shrink wrap is applied loose and then heated, and it is the heat that shrinks the film tightly around the item. QIS stocks shrink film as centrefold plastic. If you are wrapping a pallet, you want stretch wrap.

What gauge stretch wrap do I need?

Gauge is simply the thickness of the film, measured in microns (µm). A higher number means a thicker, stronger film that grips harder and needs fewer turns. It does not automatically mean a better result: film that is too heavy for a light load wastes money, and film that is too light for a heavy load tears at the corners.

Gauge	Roll length (500mm wide)	Best for
20µm	380m	Light pallets, indoor warehouse movement, short-distance transport, high stretch and lowest cost per metre
23µm	330m	General pallet use. A balance of stretch and holding force for mixed daily despatch
25µm	300m	Heavier or taller pallets and longer freight runs. The most popular gauge in Australian warehouses, and the only one stocked in black

Clear or black? Clear film lets freight and warehouse staff read labels and check contents without unwrapping. Black film hides the load, which matters for high-value freight, electronics, retail stock and trade-show transport, and it also blocks light on UV-sensitive goods.

Cast film vs blown film

Stretch wrap is manufactured two ways, and the difference shows up in how the roll behaves in your hand.

• Cast film is extruded through a flat die onto a chilled roller. It comes out clear, unwinds quietly, has excellent cling and costs less to make. Almost all Australian hand wrap, including the QIS range, is cast film.
• Blown film is extruded through a circular die and cooled by air. It is hazier and noisier to unwind, but it has higher tear and puncture resistance and holds more load force. It is used where loads have sharp corners or awkward shapes.

Hand wrap, machine wrap and pre-stretch

Hand wrap comes on 500mm rolls light enough to carry around a pallet, usually on a dispenser handle. The stretch happens as the operator pulls, typically 15 to 30 percent.

Machine wrap comes on longer, heavier rolls for a turntable or robot wrapper. The machine mechanically pre-stretches the film before it touches the load, often by 250 percent or more.

Pre-stretch is the term for stretching film before it reaches the load rather than against it. It matters commercially: a metre of film stretched to three metres before contact covers three times the surface, so a warehouse wrapping high volumes uses far less film per pallet on a machine than by hand.

How much stretch wrap does a pallet need?

There is no single number, but the method matters more than the quantity:

• Start with two or three turns at the base, catching the pallet itself. If the film does not tie the load to the timber, the load can walk off the pallet.
• Spiral upward with roughly 50 percent overlap on each pass.
• Put two turns around the top layer, then spiral back down.
• If loads are still shifting, add turns before you reach for a heavier gauge. Containment force builds with layers.

A typical Australian pallet uses somewhere around 250 to 350 grams of hand film. For loads that need to stay dry, add a pallet top sheet under the final turns.

Stretch wrap and the Australian standard pallet

The pallet most Australian warehouses run is 1165 x 1165mm square and around 150mm high, sized so two sit side by side across a 2400mm-wide trailer or container. It is wider than the Euro pallet (1200 x 800mm) and squarer than the ISO pallet (1200 x 1000mm), which is why imported wrapping equipment sometimes needs adjusting here.

Worth knowing: this size is a long-standing industry convention rather than a current published standard. AS 4068, the Australian Standard that specified it, was withdrawn in November 2019. A 500mm roll covers a standard 1.2 to 1.5 metre load in three to four spirals.

Is stretch wrap recyclable in Australia?

Stretch wrap is LLDPE, plastic identification code 4, and it is a soft plastic: scrunch it in your hand and it stays scrunched. That means it does not belong in a kerbside recycling bin in most council areas.

Commercially it is a different story. Used pallet wrap is one of the easiest soft plastics to recycle because it is a clean, single-polymer, high-volume stream, and warehouses that bale their wrap can usually have it collected by a commercial recycler. Keep it dry, and keep tape and labels out of the bale.

For smaller volumes, soft plastics collection in Australia now runs through Soft Plastic Stewardship Australia, the national scheme that replaced REDcycle after it collapsed in 2022.

Related guides

Thickness and materials: What is a µm (micron)?, What is LLDPE?, the benefits of LLDPE and What is LDPE?

Other ways to secure a load: What is Pallet Strap?, How does packaging tape work? and What is Centrefold Plastic?

Ready to buy? Browse pallet wrap or the full stretch wrap and dispensers range. Not sure which gauge suits your load? Contact our Brisbane team and we will help you work it out.