Why Packaging Buyers Are Re-Evaluating Stretch Film in 2025 Industry Trends You Should Know

Why Packaging Buyers Are Re-Evaluating Stretch Film in 2025

Industry Trends You Should Know

Stretch film has long been treated as a low-involvement consumable.
However, in 2025, many logistics and manufacturing companies are re-evaluating stretch film as a cost, efficiency, and sustainability lever rather than a simple packaging material.

Several industry trends are driving this shift.

1. Rising Logistics Costs Are Forcing Smarter Packaging Decisions

With global freight rates remaining volatile and labor costs increasing, companies are under pressure to reduce inefficiencies across the supply chain.

Stretch film plays a larger role than many realize:

• Poor film performance increases film consumption

• More wrapping layers increase labor time

• Load failures lead to damaged goods and claims

As a result, buyers are moving away from “cheapest per kilo” thinking toward cost per pallet wrapped.

2. Net Weight Transparency Is Becoming a Procurement Priority

More buyers are paying attention to net film weight vs. gross roll weight.

Heavy cores and unclear specifications can quietly increase the real cost of stretch film without improving performance.
This has led to greater demand for:

• Clear net weight labeling

• Coreless or lightweight core options

• Supplier transparency at the factory level

3. Demand for Sustainable Packaging Is Accelerating

Sustainability is no longer driven only by regulation — it is increasingly driven by customer and brand expectations.

In stretch film, this has resulted in:

• Growing adoption of recycled and downgauged films

• Interest in coreless designs to reduce waste

• Higher scrutiny of recycled content quality and consistency

Buyers are balancing environmental goals with performance requirements more carefully than before.

4. Quality Consistency Is Replacing One-Time Samples

One common procurement challenge is the gap between approved samples and actual shipments.

To reduce this risk, companies are:

• Asking more questions about production processes

• Requesting batch consistency data

• Favoring suppliers with stable manufacturing and in-house testing

Consistency is becoming a key differentiator in long-term supplier selection.

5. Stretch Film Is Shifting from Commodity to Performance Material

The industry is moving toward a more technical understanding of stretch film:

• Stretch ratio

• Load containment force

• Puncture resistance

• Elastic recovery

This shift helps buyers reduce total packaging cost rather than simply negotiating lower prices.

As supply chains become more complex, packaging materials that were once overlooked are gaining strategic importance.

Stretch film is no longer just about wrapping pallets —
it is about protecting value, controlling cost, and improving operational reliability.

If you work in logistics, packaging, or supply chain procurement, feel free to connect.
Always happy to exchange industry insights from the manufacturing side.