Post-Consumer Recycled Stretch Film

Companies are under growing pressure to meet environmental standards, reduce plastic waste, and deliver sustainable packaging solutions without compromising performance. That’s where Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Stretch Film steps in.

Among the leaders in this shift is PCR Film, a stretch film solution that balances environmental responsibility with high-performance load containment. But what exactly is PCR stretch film? How does it differ from traditional recycled stretch film?

What is Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Material?

Post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials are derived from plastic products that have already served their intended use and have been diverted from landfills through collection and recycling programs. Think of water bottles, used stretch wraps, grocery bags, or packaging films that consumers throw away after use.

These plastics are:

-Collected through recycling channels,

-Cleaned and sorted,

-Processed into resin (PCR resin),

And then converted into new products like PCR packaging and stretch film.

By incorporating PCR resin into packaging solutions, manufacturers significantly reduce the use of virgin plastics and lower their environmental footprint.

PCR Film vs Recycled Stretch Films: What’s the Difference? 

It’s common to hear “recycled stretch film” and “PCR stretch film” used interchangeably, but they’re not always the same. While both incorporate recycled content, the source material, processing, and performance levels differ significantly.

What is Traditional Recycled Stretch Film?

Traditional recycled stretch films are typically made from post-industrial recycled (PIR) materials. These are manufacturing scraps and waste from production lines, clean, unused material that gets reintegrated back into the film extrusion process.

Key Characteristics of PIR-Based Recycled Film:

Source: Factory floor waste, edge trims, roll rejections.

Processing: Easier to control as the material hasn’t been contaminated

Quality: Consistent and relatively high due to known origin.

Sustainability Impact: Reduces internal waste, but does not address the larger issue of post-consumer plastic pollution

While PIR recycled film supports internal waste reduction and lowers raw material cost, it does not close the loop on the plastic lifecycle or directly reduce landfill contributions.

What is PCR Stretch Film?

Post-consumer recycled (PCR) stretch film, on the other hand, is made using plastics that have already gone through the consumer chain. These include:

-Discarded shrink wraps,

-Grocery bags,

-Used pallet films from distribution centers,

-Agricultural or retail plastic films,

The recovered plastics are cleaned, reprocessed into PCR resin, and incorporated into stretch films through advanced co-extrusion technologies.

Key Characteristics of PCR-Based Stretch Film:

Source: Collected consumer plastic waste

Processing: More complex (sorting, decontaminating, re-pelletizing)

Sustainability Impact: Closes the loop, directly contributes to a circular economy and waste diversion from landfills

This type of recycled content is increasingly recognized in environmental regulations and corporate ESG initiatives as a positive step toward sustainable packaging practices.

How Is PCR Stretch Film Made?

Creating high-performance PCR stretch film requires advanced extrusion and blending technology. Here’s a simplified process overview:

Post-consumer plastics are collected and sorted.

These are washed, shredded, and reprocessed into PCR pellets (resin).

The PCR resin is blended with select virgin resins or performance additives.

The blend is extruded into stretch film using multi-layer co-extrusion to ensure consistency, strength, and clarity.

This results in a film that looks and performs close to conventional stretch film—while contributing to a circular economy.

Using post-consumer recycled stretch film can offer environmental benefits while still meeting performance requirements. With PCR Stretch Film, businesses can secure their loads, lower their plastic use, and move toward their sustainability goals, all in one go.

In a world that’s moving fast toward eco-conscious packaging, it’s time to wrap smarter, not just tighter.  Call us at 813 242 6995 or reach sales@quickpakinc.com for samples to test.