Stretch Wrap Vs. Plastic Bands

Uses of Plastic Bands

• Plastic bands typically wrap around the neck or cap of a jar, container or bottle. You must remove the plastic band before you open the container. You can break the seal to expose the lid or top of the container by gently pressing the perforations. A jar of pickles might have a clear plastic material covering the lid of the jar, for instances, or a ketchup bottle may have a thin plastic film along the cap and neck.

Plastic Bands Alerts

• A unbroken plastic band alerts you that the product freshly sealed from the manufacturer has not been opened since leaving the manufacturing plant. This is evidence that someone has not tried to open the product before you purchased the item.

Plastic Band Description

• Manufacturers produce plastic bands in a variety of colors such as black, white and blue. Some companies opt for a color that matches the color of the container. This packaging solution usually has horizontal, vertical, double or single perforation. A company may purchase plastic band on a roll of film that works with automated machinery or it can buy individually cut sections suited for manual applications.

Uses of Stretch Wrap

• Stretch wrap is a plastic film that contains items when moving or storing them. This eliminates the need for string, straps and tapes for securing objects in place. Warehouse workers use stretch wrap around the top or center of the pallet load when shipping or moving the products. Besides industrial uses, people use shrink wrap to cover food on a plate or in a container.

Types of Stretch Wrap

• Stretch wrap is available on rolls. Some warehouses use clear or white stretch wraps, but it's also available in green, yellow and blue. Stretch wrap helps you eliminate labeling when wrapping products. Some stretch wraps can conceal the product so people cannot see what is in the package. In addition, stretch wrap allows air to circulate around the products.

Alternative Names

• Sometime people confuse plastic band with stretch wrap since both packing solutions use plastic material. Alternative names for plastic bands include sleeves, cut bands and heat shrinks. Other names for stretch wrap include machine wrap and hand wrap.