Shrink wrap is a special polymer plastic film that when heat treated will shrink and mold to shape and hold things together securely. This material is a great way to pack items for shipping because the film protects the goods against the elements, stabilize and unitize them especially if sending multiple items in one package, and make the entire package tamper resistant.
It can be the primary covering of items such as food or as an over wrap packaging for cartons, boxes, beverage cans and pallet loads. Using shrink wrap to unify several items together eliminates the risk for damages caused by items bumping against each other when they are loosely contained in a package.
Many shipping companies can shrink wrap packages for you but if you want to save some money, you can do it yourself. Here are some helpful tips on how to use shrink wrap for packing shipments.
Lay the item to be shipped onto a flat surface such as a table or counter top.
Cut a piece of shrink wrap film and wrap it around your item. Make sure that the film is smoothly wrapped over the item. If packing several items together, they should be snugly and tightly grouped together before wrapping them in the film.
Hold a heat gun or a hair dryer six inches away from the shrink wrap and turn the power on. Evenly distribute heat all over the package until the wrap shrink down around the item/s into a tight fit.
Place the wrapped items in a shipping box. Make sure to fill voids inside the box with packing peanuts, bubble wrap or paper to prevent the contents from bumping onto the sides of the box during transit.
Address and label the package and take to your shipping company or post office.