Concrete solutions and alternatives :
In many companies, plastic film remains a logistical reflex. It is used to stabilize a pallet, protect goods or secure a transport operation. Its use seems simple, fast and inexpensive. Yet, behind this apparent obviousness, it generates waste that has to be managed financially, consumes time for application and removal, and often increases the real costs of the operation.
The question is therefore no longer only how to continue wrapping, but rather how to replace plastic film with concrete, reliable solutions adapted to logistical flows.
Because replacing plastic does not only consist of changing material. It is above all a matter of rethinking the function of holding, protection and securing with a more sustainable and more efficient logic. Reuse of the packaging remains the optimal solution.
Why replace plastic film? :
Pallet wrapping is still very widespread because it meets an immediate need. It makes it possible to quickly group products, limit certain risks of falling and secure a load before transport or storage. But this reasoning is often incomplete.
The price of a roll does not reflect its true impact. Human time, the repetition of the gesture, hardship, recurring purchases, waste management and the sometimes variable quality of application must also be taken into account. This is where the notion of total cost of ownership becomes essential. A solution that is cheap to purchase can turn out to be more expensive over time than a reusable alternative.
Replacing plastic film today responds to several challenges :
• Reducing waste linked to plastic recycling
• Limiting dependence on a disposable consumable
• Improving working conditions
• Contributing to a company carbon footprint approach
• Strengthening the optimization of internal flows
The real subject: replacing a product or rethinking a flow? :
Many companies begin by looking for “the right product” to replace film. In reality, the subject is broader. One must first ask which function really has to be ensured: holding, covering, protecting, identifying ?
Not all pallets have the same needs. A pallet in an internal flow does not have the same constraints as a pallet shipped to a customer. A logic of storage of palletized goods also does not require the same answers as transport with several handling operations.
In other words, plastic film is not replaced everywhere in the same way. The best alternatives are those that adapt to the type of flow, to the frequency of rotations and to the nature of the products.
1. The cover replacing stretch film :
This is one of the most concrete alternatives for regular flows. A reusable logistics cover makes it possible to hold and protect a load without consuming disposable packaging at each rotation.
It is particularly relevant for inter-site shuttles, internal logistics, repetitive flows and standardized pallets. This solution fully fits into a logic of reusable packaging and sustainable packaging.
Its interest is twofold: it reduces waste and brings more repeatability to operations. When it is well adapted to the flow, it can also simplify logistical gestures and make the process clearer.
2. Textile systems, covers and protective caps :
In some cases, it is not necessary to wrap the whole pallet. A cover, a textile cap or a light holding system may be sufficient when the load is already stable and does not require protection from bad weather.
These solutions are interesting when the main need concerns partial covering and holding to the pallet. They are well suited to frequent, standardized flows, where the company seeks to reduce plastic without making its operations heavier.
3. Reusable straps, belts and nets :
When the priority is to hold the load rather than wrap it, reusable straps or nets can be very effective.
They are adapted to homogeneous loads, stable containers, internal flows and closed shuttles. They do not always replace complete protection, but they make it possible to greatly reduce the use of plastic in many cases. Here again, everything depends on the function actually sought.
4. Reusable crates :
Sometimes, the best way to replace plastic film consists of eliminating the need to wrap. That is the whole interest of reusable crates adapted to the flow.
When products are placed directly in a robust, stackable and stable container, the need for external holding decreases greatly. This approach is particularly interesting for industrial components, technical parts, inter-site flows or return circuits.
In this case, one does not only replace packaging: one improves the logistical organization as a whole.
5. The improvement of logistical palletization :
It happens that a pallet is wrapped mainly because it is badly built. Better logistical palletization makes it possible to greatly reduce reliance on plastic film.
This can be done through better distribution of loads, more homogeneous formats, more stable stacking or a reduction of empty space. Before looking for an alternative product, it is therefore frequently useful to check whether the need for film is not first linked to a pallet design problem.
6. Return logistics :
Reusable alternatives become particularly relevant when they are integrated into well-organized return logistics.
A cover, a crate or a reusable holding system indeed requires a return, supports, an organization of rotations, suitable storage and a minimum of tracking. Without that, reuse remains limited. With that, it becomes a real lever of circular logistics.
Beware of the false good reflex :
Some companies seek to replace classic film with biodegradable plastic film. This may seem interesting, but one often remains in a logic of disposable consumable.
The underlying problem is then not totally solved. One continues to buy, use and throw away. The change can be useful in some cases, but it remains less structuring than a real logic of reuse or of reorganizing the flow.
In which cases can plastic film really be replaced? :
Replacement is particularly relevant when flows are regular, formats are standardized, rotations are frequent and products are relatively stable. It is also necessary that recovery or return be possible.
It is often in these contexts that reusable alternatives become the most interesting, both operationally, economically and environmentally.
A progressive approach works better :
The classic mistake consists of wanting to remove all plastic film at once. A better method consists of moving forward step by step: identifying the most repetitive flows, testing an alternative on a simple perimeter, measuring the results, then adjusting before deployment. This is precisely what Loopipak fitsoffers.
This method makes it possible to secure the transition, involve the teams and avoid a change that is too abrupt.
Conclusion :
Replacing plastic film in logistics is entirely possible, provided that one reasons by use and not by automatism. The alternatives exist: cover replacing stretch film, textile systems, straps, reusable crates, better logistical palletization and organization of return logistics.
The real question is therefore not only: “What should plastic film be replaced with?”
The real question is: In which flows do we still really need disposable packaging, and in which flows can we move to effective reusable packaging?
It is precisely within this logic that Loopipak fitsThe objective is not simply to replace one material with another, but to propose concrete, reusable solutions adapted to the realities on the ground. By working on uses, logistical constraints and the organization of flows, Loopipak seeks to make reuse an operational, economic and environmental lever without exerting pressure on the environment thanks to the reuse of raw materials for the manufacture of its packaging.
How can plastic film be replaced in logistics?