Reducing the use of plastic film on pallets is not simply about replacing a consumable with a reusable product. In industry, every flow has its own constraints: pace, handling, safety, load height, access to documents, operators’ gestures. With Solina, Loopipak is supporting a progressive and very concrete approach: analysing the flow, testing a prototype on site, listening to the teams on the ground, adjusting the solution, then preparing a pilot. A practical experience that shows how a reuse project is actually built in an industrial environment.
From plastic film to reusable cover: how Solina is building its project with Loopipak, on the ground
On many industrial sites, plastic film has become a reflex. A pallet needs to be moved? It is wrapped. A load needs to be stabilised? It is wrapped. An internal flow needs to be secured? Once again, plastic film appears as the simplest, fastest and most familiar solution.
But this simplicity has a cost. An economic cost, first. An environmental cost, next. And, increasingly, an operational cost for companies looking to reduce their waste without weakening their logistics.
It is in this context that Solina approached Loopipak, with a clear objective: to reduce the use of plastic film on pallets in an internal flow between the warehouse and production.
The project is not yet a finalised deployment. And that is precisely what makes it interesting. It shows, step by step, how a reusable solution is built in reality: not from a catalogue, but from a flow, a site, concrete constraints and user feedback.
A precise need: reducing plastic film on an internal flow
At Solina, the flow concerned is clearly identified. It involves pallets circulating between the warehouse and production, internally, over a few hundred metres, using a forklift.
There is no external transport. No passage to an end customer. No long break in the logistics chain. The pallets are immobilised for about three hours before returning empty, almost immediately, into the circuit.
The volumes are significant: around 100 pallets per day, or 500 pallets per week. Today, these pallets are automatically wrapped, with around 14 turns of film, for an estimated cost of €0.89 per pallet.
This type of situation is particularly interesting for a reusable approach. Why? Because the flow is short, controlled and recurring. The pallet does not go far. It returns quickly. The cover can therefore complete several rotations per day.
Based on this internal flow and an immobilization time of approximately three hours, Loopipak estimates that a pool of 40 to 50 covers should be sufficient to cover around 100 pallets per day, with several daily rotations. As a conservative estimate, the requirement is assessed at around 50 covers.
This is a first important lesson: reusable becomes relevant when the flow is understood in detail. The question is not only “how many pallets per day?”, but also “how long does the solution remain immobilised?”, “how quickly does it return?”, “who handles it?”, “under what conditions?”.
From the idea to the flow analysis: not choosing the solution too quickly
The first exchange between Solina and Loopipak focuses on reducing plastic film on pallets. At this stage, several avenues are considered.
Two solutions appear relevant: reusable palletisation straps and reusable storage covers.
Rather than immediately pushing a standard solution, Loopipak moves forward step by step. An on-site demonstration is planned for 22 January. The objective is not only to present a product, but to observe how the solution could integrate into the existing flow.
After the discussions, the decision is made to prepare an offer for a prototype before considering a pilot. This step is essential. In an industrial environment, the transition from disposable to reusable cannot rely only on a technical data sheet. The use, gestures, handling constraints, fixing points, actual heights and working habits need to be checked.
The prototype is therefore designed around a storage cover for a 120 x 100 cm pallet, adapted to the basic dimensions observed. The height of the pallets is around 130 cm, but field observations also show a frequent reality: the loads are not always perfectly vertical. Sufficient space must therefore be allowed to make it easier to put on and remove the cover.
This is a detail that may seem secondary on paper. On the ground, it becomes decisive. A cover that is too tight can slow down operators. A cover that is too loose can hinder handling or tightening. Between the two, the right balance has to be found.
A first prototype designed around usage constraints
The first prototype is defined with several precise elements.
The opening is located between a long side on the right and a short side on the left. Two securing straps are planned at the pallet block on the 100 cm side. A6-format document windows are integrated, with a vertical opening and a small Velcro closure. Two windows are positioned on either side of the end of the opening.
Some decisions already show attention to real-life use. For example, it is not considered necessary to add transparent windows to check the content. On the other hand, the positioning of the documents is important, because they must remain readable and accessible in the flow.
The straps are planned in cotton, with a metal cam buckle. Velcro is avoided for the securing straps to the pallet, because it does not necessarily correspond to the robustness and holding requirements expected in this use.
Another technical detail: the corner above the open edge must not be sewn over 20 cm on each side, in order to maintain flexibility and make placement easier.
These choices may seem very specific. Yet they are at the heart of a successful project. In a logic of industrial reuse, the solution must not only “work” in theory. It must be easy to use, repeatable, compatible with existing gestures and robust enough to last over time.
The field visit: the moment when the prototype meets reality
On 20 March 2026, a field visit is organised to present and test the prototype. The logistics manager, two logistics operators and the safety and environment manager are present.
This step plays a central role. The prototype is no longer just an object designed from an expressed need. It is confronted with the reality of the site, the pallets, the heights, the handling methods and the teams’ expectations.
The observation is clear: the dimensions of the cover are too large, both in height and in width.
In a conventional project, this type of feedback could be perceived as a problem. In a co-construction approach, on the contrary, it is valuable information. The test reveals what preparatory discussions cannot always anticipate. It makes it possible to move from a plausible solution to an adapted solution.
The field teams play a decisive role here. The logistics operators and managers present identify the points to be corrected, the handling constraints, the areas where the straps need to fall better, and the places where the document holders need to be moved.
This is one of the major lessons of this practical experience: operators are not only the future users of the solution. They are also the ones who make it possible to improve it.
Adjusting the cover: proof of a serious approach
Following the demonstration, several modifications are requested. The cover must be remade to the correct dimensions: 120 x 100 x h112. The strap anchoring points must be moved around 10 cm to the left. The document windows must be repositioned to the right and at the correct level. The label holders and buckles must also be moved.
The plastic buckle used to attach to the pallet must be replaced by a cam buckle. The pallet attachment straps must be adapted, with a revised length and a more appropriate tightening system.
Three additional anchoring points are also added: one at the second level from the bottom, two at the third level from the bottom, including one on the left side.
The thinking around the buckles is refined. The objective is to allow tightening that is better adapted to the actual shape of the load. One buckle at the bottom allows tightening to pallet format. Two buckles in the middle allow pyramid-style tightening. In total, three buckles, including one on the left side, make it possible to optimise this tightening.
These adjustments say a lot about the method. They show that Loopipak is not trying to impose a standard. The challenge is to understand how the cover will be used, pulled, attached, removed, stored and then put back into circulation.
In a fast internal flow, every gesture counts. A poorly positioned strap, a buckle that is too high, a document holder in the wrong place or a cover that is too wide can create discomfort. Conversely, a well-adjusted solution reduces friction and facilitates adoption.
Reusable is built through use, not in abstraction
The Solina case illustrates a reality that is often underestimated: an industrial reuse project is not decided solely on an environmental principle.
Reducing plastic is the starting objective. But for the solution to be adopted, it must meet other criteria: safety, ergonomics, handling, pace, readability of documents, compatibility with pallets, ease of placement, rapid return of equipment.
That is why field observation is essential. It makes it possible to identify details that do not always appear in an initial specification.
In this project, field feedback does not call the approach into question. It improves it. It transforms a first prototype into a version closer to the site’s real needs.
This is also what reduces resistance to change. The transition from disposable to reusable can raise legitimate questions: will it slow the teams down? Will the cover be easy to handle? Will it hold properly? Will it be the right format? Will it complicate the flow?
The method followed with Solina provides a concrete answer: we test, we observe, we adjust, then we pilot.
Towards a pilot in real operating conditions
The project has now reached an important milestone. After a first prototype, a site visit and several technical adjustments, a new version of the cover was presented to Solina.
Just before this visit, the cover was also tested in the laboratory. The results confirmed its very good resistance to various handling operations, a reassuring point for a solution designed to be used several times a day in a real logistics environment.
The on-site demonstration went very well. Solina was satisfied and confident, with the intention to continue with a test in real operating conditions using an initial pool of 50 covers.
This pilot will make it possible to verify the daily use of the covers on the internal flow, monitor rotations and confirm the potential gains in terms of plastic film reduction. Loopipak will also support Solina with a profitability study, an LCA and organisational advice to facilitate the follow-up of the test.
What this experience teaches us
The project carried out with Solina shows that the transition to reusable solutions is built progressively: flow analysis, prototype, field testing, team feedback, technical adjustments and then validation in real operating conditions.
It also shows that an industrial reuse project is not based solely on a product. It must be integrated into the site’s constraints, daily handling routines and team organisation.
For industrial companies looking to reduce plastic film, the approach is clear: identify the right flows, test on a small scale, measure usage, listen to feedback and adjust before deployment.
At Loopipak, this is the method that guides our projects: starting from the field, building with the teams and supporting the transformation of use with pragmatism.
From plastic film to reusable cover: how Solina is building its project with Loopipak, on the ground