Packaging Cost & Performance
Stretch film cost per pallet: how to measure it
To calculate stretch film cost per pallet, divide the cost of the film used by the number of pallets that meet your wrapping requirements. Include film wasted on breaks and rewrapping. A low roll price is useful only if that roll does the job you need.
Film cost per pallet = cost of film consumed ÷ accepted pallets wrapped
An accepted pallet is one that passes your operation’s agreed wrapping and load checks. Count each completed pallet once, even if it needed a second wrap.
Why price per roll is only part of the answer
Two rolls can differ in width, length, thickness and net film weight. They can also behave differently on your loads and equipment. Comparing their prices alone does not tell you how many usable pallets each will wrap.
Start by separating hand and machine applications. Then compare films on the same type of load, using a wrapping process suitable for each film. The useful question is: how much film did we consume to prepare an acceptable pallet?
A simple worked example
The figures below are hypothetical, in Canadian dollars. They are not Millennium prices, test results or a savings forecast. Assume each roll is fully consumed and both films meet the same agreed load requirements.
| Measure | Film A | Film B |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per roll | $30.00 | $36.00 |
| Accepted pallets per roll | 100 | 150 |
| Film cost per pallet | $0.30 | $0.24 |
Film B costs more per roll but, in this example, less per accepted pallet: $36 ÷ 150 = $0.24. At 5,000 comparable pallets, those measured rates would mean $1,500 versus $1,200 in film cost. That projection is useful only if the trial reflects the work you actually do.
The reverse can also happen. A more expensive film that does not increase usable output or offer another needed benefit may cost more per pallet. Measure the result instead of assuming either film wins.
How to measure your current usage
- Choose a representative load. Record the pallet dimensions, height, weight and shape. Keep different load types separate so an easy, uniform pallet does not hide the usage of a difficult one.
- Record the film and its actual cost. Note the product, width, actual gauge or micron, roll length and net film weight. Use the same cost basis for both films, including any freight allocation or discounts you choose to include.
- Track consumption over a defined trial. Count fully consumed rolls, or weigh each roll before and after the trial. When the same core remains on the scale, subtracting the ending weight from the starting weight gives the film consumed.
- Count accepted pallets and waste. Keep film lost to breaks, damaged sections and rewrapping in the consumption total. Record stoppages and rejected loads separately. Do not count a rewrapped pallet twice.
- Calculate and repeat. Divide film cost consumed by accepted pallets. Repeat across representative runs before treating one result as your normal operating cost.
What if you only use part of a roll?
Use the consumed film weight rather than charging the trial for a whole roll:
Film cost consumed = roll cost × (film weight consumed ÷ starting net film weight of a full roll)
For example, consuming 2 kg from a roll containing 10 kg of net film at a cost of $40 allocates $8 of film cost to the trial. If that wraps 40 accepted pallets, the film cost is $0.20 each. Keep units consistent and exclude the cardboard core and packaging from net film weight. Check that the scale can resolve the amount you are measuring.
Keep the comparison fair
Use comparable loads and the same acceptance criteria. Record the wrap pattern, overlap, machine settings or manual technique, and any adjustments made for the trial film. The right settings may differ between films; changing several conditions without recording them makes the result hard to explain or repeat.
Film thickness and a published stretch capability are starting information, not a direct calculation of pallets per roll. Actual consumption depends on how the film is applied. Do not multiply a datasheet stretch figure by roll length and present that as guaranteed usable output.
Check load performance as well as usage. Containment force is the film’s holding force on the load, and it needs to suit the application. Equipment manufacturer Lantech explains the role of wrap force and film revolutions in its containment-force guidance. Follow your equipment instructions and agreed load-validation process; a lower film weight alone does not establish an acceptable wrap.
What to keep in your trial record
- Load type, trial date and operator or machine.
- Film specification, roll cost and starting net film weight.
- Settings and wrap pattern, including any changes.
- Film consumed, accepted pallet count, breaks and rewraps.
- Wrapping time and the outcome of your load checks.
Keep unrounded measurements in the record and round the final cost for reporting. Do not round roll consumption up to a purchasing quantity when calculating actual usage.
Film cost is not the entire wrapping cost
Film-only cost helps compare material use. Labour, machine downtime, rework and damage also matter, but they should be recorded separately before you combine them into a broader cost. Avoid adding an assumed damage saving to a trial that did not measure damage.
For available formats and technical sheets, explore our manual stretch film and machine stretch film ranges.
Start with the film you use today.
Our Film Comparison tool uses your wrapping method, current film and usage to suggest an option and illustrate material use. Bring your measured cost and trial results to the follow-up conversation for an application-specific review.