When it comes to shipping and storing fragile items, choosing the right product wrap is essential to ensuring their safety. Whether you’re protecting delicate electronics, glassware, or any other breakable goods, the type of wrap you use can make all the difference. In this blog, we’ll explore the most common types of product wrap, from the classic bubble to more sustainable alternatives, so you can make an informed decision about the best protection for your products.
Back in the day, newspaper was the go-to wrapping material for anything fragile. Then came bubble wrap—invented in the 1950s but not widely adopted until the boom in online shopping around the early 2000s. Offering a significant upgrade in protection, bubble wrap quickly became a packaging staple. However, it comes with a serious downside: environmental impact. Made from plastic, bubble wrap can take anywhere from 10 to 10,000 years to decompose. Most ends up in landfills or oceans, where it pollutes natural ecosystems.
First developed in the 1960s for industrial use, shrink wrap quickly became a popular packaging solution for everything from retail products to bundled goods. You’ve likely seen it used to wrap multipacks of bottled drinks. Typically made from polyolefin or PVC, shrink wrap is durable and flexible, but it isn’t always easy to recycle.
As the packaging industry evolved, foam wrap emerged to protect a broader range of items—especially those needing surface protection rather than impact cushioning. Foam wrap is a lightweight, flexible material that guards against scratches and scuffs. It can be easily cut to size or layered for additional protection. However, like bubble wrap, foam wrap is typically made from polyethylene, a plastic that isn’t biodegradable and can be difficult to recycle.
Stretch wrap, also known as stretch film, was introduced in the early 1970s to help the shipping and logistics industry better secure palletized goods during transit and storage. The development of stretch wrap was driven by advancements in linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), allowing the film to stretch without breaking and tightly conform to loads. This innovation made it easier and more cost-effective to stabilize large shipments compared to traditional methods. While LLDPE (labeled as #4 plastic) is technically recyclable, it’s not widely accepted in most curbside programs. Instead, it often needs to be taken to designated drop-off locations or specialty recycling facilities.
As environmental concerns grew, kraft paper became a reliable packaging option because of its durability and recyclability. In the 1990s, David Goodrich developed the original slit paper technology—a unique way of turning a simple sheet of paper into a three-dimensional cushioning solution.
Then, in 2014, he founded HexcelPack with a mission to replace single-use plastic packaging with paper-based solutions.
HexcelPack’s flagship product, HexcelWrap™, is crafted from 100% PEFC-certified Canadian kraft paper and is fully curbside recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable. Its innovative slit-sheet design eliminates the need for tape and provides superior protection by minimizing product movement during transit, a common cause of damage.
While product wrap provides essential cushioning, pairing it with other packaging solutions can further minimize the risk of damage.
Void fill, for example, is used to fill empty spaces inside a shipping box. It cushions the product, preventing it from shifting during transit. As the packaging industry moves away from plastic, paper-based void fill options like HexaFil™ offer a more sustainable alternative. HexaFil can be used on its own or in combination with HexcelWrap, where HexcelWrap serves as the product wrap, and HexaFil acts as the void fill.
Pallet wrap is another essential packaging solution that complements product wrap by keeping large shipments secure. It stabilizes loads during transit and storage, reducing the risk of product damage caused by shifting. Like void fill, the move away from plastic has driven the development of innovative paper-based alternatives. HexcelStretch™ is a 100% paper pallet wrap that serves as a sustainable replacement for traditional plastic films.
Made from FSC- or PEFC-certified Canadian Virgin Kraft paper, it’s fully curbside recyclable and delivers up to 30% more stability than plastic wrap—capable of securing pallet loads weighing up to 5,400 pounds.
The shift to sustainable packaging isn’t just about reducing your carbon footprint—it’s about meeting rising consumer expectations. Today’s shoppers are actively seeking out eco-friendly brands, and their purchasing decisions reflect that. Consider these recent statistics:
If your business wants to position itself as forward-thinking and environmentally responsible, adopting sustainable packaging is one of the most effective ways to do it.
And if you ship internationally, especially to the European Union, sustainable packaging won’t just be a selling point—it’ll be a requirement. Getting ahead of these regulations now can help future-proof your operations and build trust with global customers.
Whether you’re looking for sustainable product wrap or need other types of sustainable packaging to protect your items, HexcelPack has solutions to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Send us your product, and we’ll wrap, pack, and ship it back to you—free of charge—so you can try HexcelPack for yourself.