Explosive Growth in Express & E-Commerce Volumes Is Forcing Packaging Costs Down
According to data from China's State Post Bureau, national express delivery volumes have maintained rapid growth for several consecutive years, with daily parcel throughput repeatedly hitting new highs. Against such a massive parcel base, controlling packaging costs has become an unavoidable priority for e-commerce and logistics companies alike.
While traditional cardboard offers strong protection, it comes with real drawbacks: high cost, large storage footprint, low packing efficiency, and limited compatibility with automation. PE shrink film, by contrast, offers lower material costs, easier handling, full automation compatibility, and significant time savings - making it an increasingly popular substitute for cardboard, particularly for bundling and outer-packaging of standardized, regularly shaped goods. This is a key reason why demand for PE shrink film has continued to climb in recent years.
The Rise of Automated Packaging Equipment Is Driving Demand for Higher-Performance Film
As labor costs continue to rise, more express and e-commerce warehouses are adopting automated packaging lines. Shrink film is particularly well suited to this shift - its wide heat-sealing temperature range and high packing efficiency make it compatible with a broad range of automatic packing machines, significantly boosting throughput and cutting labor costs in warehousing and logistics operations.
This shift also raises the bar for film manufacturers: beyond ensuring stable heat-sealing performance, suppliers must now provide film customized in thickness, width, and shrink ratio to match the exact specifications of a client's automated equipment - precisely matching "film" to "machine."
Export Markets Are Raising the Bar - Environmental Compliance Is No Longer Optional
Beyond domestic shifts, export markets are also tightening requirements around the safety and environmental profile of packaging materials. In markets such as North America and Europe, standards for food-contact and packaging materials continue to grow stricter, and overseas buyers increasingly request SGS, FDA, and other authoritative test reports at the inquiry stage - before any order is placed - to confirm that materials are safe, environmentally sound, and non-toxic.
This means film manufacturers competing on price alone will gradually lose ground in overseas markets, while companies with robust quality management systems (such as ISO 9001 certification) and the ability to consistently provide third-party test reports will hold a clear advantage in winning export orders.
