Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Stretch Film Basics
Packaging Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply
There are many types of stretch wrap film. Each has qualities that are particularly suitable in addressing the specific needs of your stretch wrapping operation, such as load size and type, performance requirements as well as budget. The following lists some of the most important types of stretch film, their attributes and applications. Click on a stretch wrap film below for details.
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Cast Stretch Film
Cast stretch film also called cast film or cast wrap, is manufactured using the cast extrusion process. Typical characteristics of cast stretch films are: excellent optics, clear, glossy, superior tear resistance, quiet unwind, consistent cling and consistent film thickness. Cast stretch film products: Hand & Machine rolls can be cast or blown film.
Blown Stretch Film
Manufactured using the blown film extrusion process and also referred to as blown film. Typical blown strecth film characteristics are: poor optics, hazy, dull, excellent puncture resistance, very noisy unwind and high force on load.
Hand Stretch film
Stretch film designed specifically to be applied manually is referred to as hand stretch film. It is also referred to as hand film, hand stretch wrap, hand wrap or manual pallet wrap. It is typically utilized in lower capacity packaging operations. However the efficiency of manual stretch wrap packaging should be regularly re-evaluated against potential benefits of upgrading to a machine wrapper. Choosing the right stretch applicator will result in more efficient and cost effective packaging operations.
Machine Stretch film
Stretch film designed to be applied with a stretch wrap machine is referred as machine stretch film. It provides many advantages over hand film including: faster and more efficient packaging, reduced packaging material costs, safer application, more secure loads and more. Common machine stretch film types: cast machine stretch film, blown machine film and prestretched films.
Prestretch films
Prestretched film is film that is stretched before wrapping a load. Prestretch film benefits include:
- Reduced amount of film used, so film costs are greatly reduced
- Requires less revolutions to wrap a load, saving time, more efficient
- Less packaging film means less waste to clear and dispose
- Prestretch films are recycable
- Prestretched film is strong, consistent and stable
Specialty Stretch film
Specialty stretch films are designed to answer very specific packaging needs that more general purpose stretch packaging solutions cannot accommodate. A small sample of some specialty stretch packaging films are below, each are linked to a product details page.
- UVI Stretch Wrap – UV Ray reisistance
- Tinted Wrap – Protect valuable items
- Vented Pallet Wrap
- Wide Web Wrap
- Pallet Covers
- Anti-Static
- Hi Performance Film
Hand Towel Cost In Use Comparison
Janitorial Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply
Cost per Hand Dry Towel Comparison
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Towel |
Twl/ft |
Case |
Cost Per |
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Hand Dry |
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Towel Type |
Size |
Per Case |
Price |
Towel/Ft |
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Used |
Cost |
Center Pulls |
7.8×13 |
3180 |
$30.00 |
$0.0094 |
twls |
3 |
$0.028 |
Cfolds |
13×10.25 |
2400 |
$20.00 |
$0.0083 |
twls |
3 |
$0.025 |
Multifolds |
9.125×9.5 |
4000 |
$26.00 |
$0.0065 |
twls |
3 |
$0.020 |
Scott Fold |
9.4×12.4 |
4375 |
$35.00 |
$0.0080 |
twls |
2 |
$0.016 |
enMotion |
10×800 |
4800 |
$52.00 |
$0.0108 |
ft |
1.5 |
$0.016 |
Multifolds Brown |
10.25×9.25 |
4000 |
$20.00 |
$0.0050 |
twls |
3 |
$0.015 |
Single Folds |
10.25×9.25 |
4000 |
$20.00 |
$0.0050 |
twls |
3 |
$0.015 |
Intuition White |
8×700 |
4200 |
$41.00 |
$0.0098 |
twls |
1.5 |
$0.015 |
Intuition Brown |
8×700 |
4200 |
$39.00 |
$0.0093 |
twls |
1.5 |
$0.014 |
White Roll Towel |
8×800 |
4800 |
$25.00 |
$0.0052 |
ft |
2.5 |
$0.013 |
Brown Roll Towel |
8×800 |
4800 |
$22.00 |
$0.0046 |
ft |
2.5 |
$0.011 |
White Roll Towel |
8×1000 |
12000 |
$ 79.00 |
$0.0066 |
ft |
1.5 |
$0.010 |
Hand Dryer |
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Utility Cost |
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* Includes waste, loss and misuse |
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The above indicates that Kimberly Clark’s 1000 or 1005 white roll towels using a controlled towel dispenser is the lowest cost towel alternative. There are other factors to consider in selecting an appropriate towel system
- Bathroom decor and fit with dispenser options and styles
- Personal choice for folded towel style over roll towels
- The desire to keep options open and select any manufacturers towels
The lowest cost folded towel options is singlefolds followed closely by Scottfold and Multifold towels. Centerpull towels along with household towels ie Bounty are and have been the most expensive hand drying alternatives.
Garbage Bags & Liners
Keys
Type of Trash
- Trash with sharp objects require low density liners
- Wet trash requires thicker liners to hold the liquid but not liners will hold liquid for long periods
- General office trash is best contained with high density liners
Trash container
- Formula for sizing W+L + 2-3 inches by Depth plus 4 inches. For circular containers use have the circumference
Type of bag High Density or Low Density
- Low density bags stretch more than high density
- bags that use recycled fibers are more brittle
- Measure of thickness is generally mil
- High density bags have higher tensile strength but they are more brittle and can zipper when punctured
- Measure of thickness is generally micron
$ per pound
- This is the key measurement of value. You are essentially buy a block of plastic that has been blown into a bag shape
Bottom, top configuration and seams
- Flat bottoms have one seem and this tends to be the weakest part of the bag
- Star seals are best with no direct seam on the bottom of the bag.
- Bags can have plain tops or draw tapes or handles for tieing
Pack – flat, coreless rolls, convenience
- Flat or bulk packaging has the bags loaded in the box folded or in randomn order
- Coreless rolls have the bags rolled flat in bundles of 25 or so bags. They can be perforated where the next bags has to be torn off or interwoven for easy removal
- Convenience packaging has all the bags on a single roll in the box. They have a dispenser box option where liners can be taken off the roll one at a time.
Manufacturing Process
Resin is melted and blown into a long tube – color may be added. The tube is cut to length and the ends is gathered and sealed. Bags are cooled and packed.
Sizes Mics Mils
24×25 6 .3
24×33 8 .5
30×36 10 .6
33×39 12 .9 or 1
40×48 14 1.3 or 1.5
38×58 16 1.7 or 2.0
43×47 22 3.0
Mils to Mic Conversion
WxLxMil/15=LBS per 1000
MIL=MIC/25.4
MIC=MILX25.4
Competitive Information to acquire when cross referencing or specifying a bag.
Size
Thickness – Equivalent means nothing
Case Weight
Pack
Count
Color
Manufacturer
Mfg Code
Manufacturers
Berry
Heritage
Pitt Plastics
Inteplast
Rollpak
Repulic
Fortune
High Density Low Density
Tensile Strength More Elastic
More Leak Proof Holes won’t make bag fail
Zippers – good for paper waste Good with sharp trash, glass etc
Lower cost per bag
Fastest growing
Rental Shop Towels vs Disposable Wipers

Rental shop towels are typically manufactured overseas and shipped to a commercial laundry facility in the US. The first use of a laundered shop towel may be as a white towel (virgin use). Upon return from its first use, the towel may be dyed red or blue and laundered before being shipped to the next industrial customer. After each round of use, the launderer picks up the dirty towels from the industrial customer and returns them via truck to the laundry for cleaning. The dirty towels frequently contain hazardous industrial solvents and chemicals from the processes in which they were used. Each time the dirty towel is laundered, the waste comes off in the laundering process and can end up in several places: •Volatile Organic Compounds (from solvents) evaporate into the air where they can be inhaled by the laundry workers who load the washers and driers •The solvents and chemicals that were on the towels are washed out into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works •Sludge from the oil, grease, grime and chemicals is collected from the laundering process and usually is disposed of in the landfill. •After laundering, the towels are then sent out again-typically to a different industrial customer – they are returned to generate more VOCs, sludge and water pollution. A laundered towel may be used many times; but, ultimately, it will become too dirty and ratty for more use and will be discarded in the landfill.

Disposable wipers are typically manufactured in the USA. These product ship direct to a distributor who takes these direct to the customer for use. After the wipers have been used, they are either sent to a landfill if they are non-hazardous or are picked up by a hazardous waste hauler who properly disposes of the wiper often using methods that result in a waste to energy conversion.
Benefits:
- Comfort of knowing that hazardous waste has been handled correctly and liability has been minimized.
- Waste from process is disposed of properly. Minimizes risk of exposure to public and environment. (alternate statement to first point)
- No left over contaminants or residue on wiper from previous user.
- Hazardous waste is hauled only one time to a destination that is prepared to handle it versus a continuous movement of contamination through many cycles of use.



































