What determines the price of stretch film?

Price per roll or price per kilogram?

A roll's price is, in the end, its net film weight multiplied by the price per kilogram. Two rolls with the same price can hold very different amounts of film: one may be shorter, thinner or wound on a heavier core. Work out the net film weight with the roll weight formula before you compare.

1. Raw material

Stretch film is made mostly of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), a petrochemical product made mainly from oil-based raw materials. That is why stretch film prices are directly linked to oil prices: when oil and polyethylene prices move, film prices follow.

2. Film grade

POLIFILM, a German film producer, explains that premium films use higher-quality raw materials and manufacturing processes than standard films. They cost more per kilogram, but they stretch further and hold the load more strongly, which can lower the cost per wrapped pallet. The film's construction plays a part too:

• cast or blown: cast lines produce faster, so cast film is usually the more economical choice when the load does not need blown film's toughness; see cast vs blown;
• layers and resins: multilayer and nanolayer films built from high-performance resins; see layers and nano film.

3. Extras

Each extra is added when the film is made, so it is part of the jumbo roll's price:

• colour (black, white, coloured); see coloured stretch film;
• UV protection for outdoor storage; see UV-resistant stretch film;
• recycled (PCR) content, which in some countries also changes the plastic tax; see PCR film and plastic taxes.

4. Roll format

• The core: POLIFILM notes that it uses cores of 1 or 1.6 kg and that heavier cores add unnecessary cost. Coreless rolls remove the core altogether, so you pay only for film.
• Pre-stretched film: a roll can cost more than a roll of conventional film, but it covers more pallets; see when pre-stretched film is not the right choice.
• Hand, machine and slit rolls: the format decides the rewinding work, the cores and the packaging per kilogram of film.

5. Order size, packaging and transport

Larger orders, full pallets and steady volumes usually get better prices than small, irregular orders. Packaging and transport add to the delivered price; compact rolls, such as coreless rolls, fit more film on each pallet.

6. Taxes and fees

In some countries, plastic packaging is taxed by weight, and the amount can depend on the recycled content. Check the rules that apply to you; see PCR film and plastic taxes.

How to compare offers

1. Price per kilogram of net film: subtract the core and compare like with like.
2. Cost per pallet: a better film can wrap more pallets per kilogram. Weigh a roll before and after wrapping ten pallets; see film use and cost per pallet.
3. Check the label: a roll that is shorter or thinner than stated costs more than it seems.