Where to Buy PE Stretch Film for Wrapping? Guide to Choosing a Reliable Supplier (2025)

Reviewed and updated by ICD - Week 44/2026

Businesses that use film regularly should buy PE wrapping film directly from a manufacturer or from a packaging-supply distributor with a warehouse near the delivery point; for a few rolls, a supply store or an e-commerce marketplace is enough. Wherever you buy, compare price per kilogram of actual film (excluding the core) and check four specifications: width, thickness, net weight and core size.

PE wrapping film, also called stretch film, is made mainly from LLDPE, a linear polyethylene with a density of about 0.916-0.940 g/cm³. Two rolls that look identical can differ in real thickness, core weight and width, so where you buy is really a question of what you write on the order and what you check on delivery.

Where to buy PE wrapping film: four sources and when to use each

There are four main sources, and the right one depends on your monthly volume, whether you need invoices and spec advice, and how far you are from the delivery point.

Direct from the manufacturer

This is the best choice if you buy large quantities on a steady schedule. There is no middleman margin, quality is consistent from batch to batch, and you can order custom thickness, width or roll weight with technical support from the people who make the film. In return, manufacturers usually set fairly large minimum quantities, so it does not suit a warehouse that uses a few rolls a week.

Distributors and packaging-supply dealers

These are present in most provinces, sell film from several manufacturers, allow small orders and deliver fast. Prices are usually slightly higher than buying at the factory, but you can choose from many specifications in one order, which is convenient when the warehouse also uses tape, strapping and edge protectors. For businesses, this is the best balance of price, speed and paperwork.

Retail stores and e-commerce marketplaces

Supply stores and marketplaces such as Shopee, Lazada and Tiki suit you when you only need a few rolls, want to compare many sellers at once and read buyer reviews first. The weakness is that thickness and real weight are hard to verify before delivery. Choose a shop that states the net film weight, core weight and thickness, confirm those numbers by message, and film the unboxing so you have evidence if a roll does not match the description.

What to write on the purchase order: the ASTM D4649 specification set

A complete film order states thickness, width, roll length or weight, core size, hand or machine use, quantity and delivery location. These are also the items that ASTM D4649-20 (guide for the selection, specification and use of stretch film) asks to be stated when ordering, and the standard says it can be used between buyer and seller to agree on purchase specifications.

Also under ASTM D4649, actual thickness must not deviate more than 10% from nominal thickness at any point across the film width, and roll width may deviate by about 6 mm at most. For 17 micron film, the acceptable range is 15.3-18.7 micron; if a supplier cannot state any tolerance, treat that as a signal to ask more questions.

• Thickness: state it in microns (for example 17 micron for a hand roll), not vaguely as “thin” or “thick”.
• Width: 500 mm is the common width for both hand and machine rolls; ask if you need a different width.
• Weight of the whole roll and weight of the core, to work out the actual film weight.
• Core diameter: 76 mm (3 inch) or 54 mm (2 inch) cores depending on the roll; machine rolls must fit the shaft of the wrapping machine.
• Wrap type: hand or machine, and film color (clear, black, blue) if you need to conceal or sort loads.
• Quantity, delivery location and requested delivery time.
• Invoice: request a VAT invoice that states the tax rate; for goods that normally carry 10%, the 8% rate applies from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2026 under Decree 174/2025/ND-CP, except the product groups listed in Appendices I and II of the decree.

For machine-wrap orders, do not settle on a film before you know whether your wrapping machine has a pre-stretch unit and what maximum roll diameter it accepts. A 15 kg roll does not fit every machine.

Price per roll or price per kg: cores make roll prices misleading

Convert every quotation to a price per kilogram of actual film, meaning the weight of the whole roll minus the core. The paper core is 6.7% of the weight on a 15 kg machine roll but 20.8% on a 2.4 kg hand roll, so comparing prices per roll makes it easy to pick the roll with less film.

The figures above come from the corresponding product pages on the ICD Vietnam website (October 2026), 500 mm width, 17 micron thickness for hand rolls and 20-30 micron for machine rolls. An example to picture it: a 3.0 kg roll with a 0.5 kg core holds only 2.5 kg of film, while a 3.0 kg roll with a 0.3 kg core holds 2.7 kg. At the same roll price, the first costs about 8% more per kg of film (2.7 divided by 2.5).

Checking the film on delivery: weigh the roll and weigh a 1-meter sample

The two simplest checks are weighing the whole roll to compare against net weight, and cutting a 1 m sample to weigh, from which you can work out real thickness without expensive tools. The second check rests on mass equals density times volume: thickness (micron) equals sample mass (g) divided by density, width (cm) and length (cm), then multiplied by 10,000.

For LLDPE film with a density of about 0.92 g/cm³, 50 cm width and a 1 m (100 cm) length, the sample weighs roughly the values in the table. Cut the sample from a roll that is still intact, discard the outer 2-3 wraps, lay it flat without stretching, and use an electronic scale accurate to 0.01 g.

The table is calculated with the formula above at a density of 0.92 g/cm³; the real density of LLDPE ranges from 0.916 to 0.940, so results carry an error of a few percent. Use the table to catch clearly off-spec rolls, for example a sample weighing only 6.5 g when the supplier states 17 micron, not to argue over tenths of a gram. If you have a micrometer or thickness gauge, measure again at three points across the width; ASTM D6988 explains how to measure the thickness of plastic film.

Besides the two checks above, inspect by eye and by hand: the film should be evenly colored with no cloudy streaks, should not tear when stretched gently over a long length, and the layers on the roll should cling lightly and peel apart without stringing. If a roll fails, take photos, keep the delivery note and invoice, and notify the supplier within the agreed return period.

Choosing specifications by wrapping method: hand rolls and machine rolls

Hand wrapping uses 2-5 kg rolls at about 17 micron thickness; machine wrapping uses rolls of about 15 kg at 20-30 micron thickness with a 1 kg core. Decide by wrapping method first, then choose a seller that offers exactly that specification.

A hand roll must be light enough for a person to carry around the pallet all shift, so 3-4 kg rolls are the usual choice; a 5 kg roll only suits someone wrapping many pallets continuously. Machine rolls are much larger so the machine stops less often for roll changes, and the film is thicker to withstand the pull of the pre-stretch unit. Black film is used when you need to conceal the load, and blue film to sort loads by batch or by order.

Buying PE film from ICD Vietnam: specifications, warehouse and delivery

ICD Vietnam supplies PE wrapping film including hand rolls from 2.1 to 5.0 kg, 15 kg machine rolls, black and blue rolls, and handheld wrapping tools. The specifications of each roll (whole roll, actual film, core, thickness) are on its product page, so you can work out the price per kg of film yourself as above.

ICD Vietnam has a warehouse in Hanoi (3rd Floor, Thang Long A1 Building, Thon Bau, Thien Loc Commune) and a southern workshop at 551/212 Le Van Khuong Street, Tan Thoi Hiep Ward, District 12. The company does not have a store in every province; customers elsewhere receive goods by shipping. Under ICD Vietnam’s shipping policy, orders are processed in 1-2 working days, then delivered in 1-3 working days in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, 2-5 days to neighboring provinces and 3-7 days to the remaining provinces. Shipping fees are quoted before the order is confirmed.

Orders are placed by hotline or website; payment is by cash or bank transfer; VAT invoices are issued with the details you provide. On returns, ICD Vietnam accepts exchanges within 7 days of sale if the goods are new, unused and do not match the description, have a technical defect or were damaged in transit; you need to inspect the goods at the moment of delivery because cosmetic complaints after signing for receipt will not be accepted.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy PE wrapping film in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City?

You can buy from a manufacturer, a packaging-supply distributor, a retail store or an e-commerce marketplace in both cities. ICD Vietnam has a warehouse in Hanoi and a southern workshop in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, with delivery inside the city in 1-3 working days from dispatch under its shipping policy.

Where is the cheapest place to buy PE film?

There is no single cheapest place for every need. The cheapest place is the one with the lowest price per kg of actual film at the thickness and width you need. Comparing price per roll is easy to get wrong because the core makes up 6.7% to 20.8% of roll weight across ICD-MPE specifications.

Should I buy hand-wrap or machine-wrap film?

Hand wrapping uses 2-5 kg rolls at about 17 micron, suited to low-volume warehouses or light goods. Machine wrapping uses rolls of about 15 kg at 20-30 micron, suited to warehouses wrapping many pallets a day that own a wrapping machine. Machine rolls must fit the machine’s maximum roll diameter.

How do I check the real thickness of PE film on delivery?

The quickest way is to cut a 1 m sample at 50 cm width, weigh it on an electronic scale and compare it to the weight-by-thickness table; a 17 micron sample weighs about 7.8 g. You can also measure at three points with a micrometer. Under ASTM D4649, thickness should not deviate more than 10% from nominal at any single point.

Can I get a VAT invoice when buying PE wrapping film?

Businesses that sell film to business customers can issue invoices if you provide the full details; confirm before ordering and ask for the tax rate to be stated. At ICD Vietnam, VAT invoices are issued with the details the customer provides at purchase.

Can I return PE film that turns out not to suit my use?

It depends on each seller’s policy, and you should ask before ordering. At ICD Vietnam, returns apply within 7 days of sale for goods that are new and unused, in cases of not matching the description, technical defect or damage in transit; rolls that have been trial-used are not eligible for exchange.

Contact

• ICD Vietnam PE film: specification advice and order-based quotes
• Northern Vietnam: 0983 797 186 | 090 345 9186
• Southern Vietnam: 098 6784 186
• Email: Sales@icdvietnam.com.vn
• Support hours: 08:00-17:00, except Sundays and public holidays

References

• ASTM D4649-20, Standard Guide for Use of Stretch Films and Wrapping Application, ASTM International (sections 4.1, 8.1, 11.1); ASTM D6988, Standard Guide for Determination of Thickness of Plastic Film Test Specimens.
• Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), Wikipedia (density 0.916-0.940 g/cm³).
• Value-added tax cut from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2026 (Decree 174/2025/ND-CP), Vietnam Government News.
• Properties of polyethylene (PE) plastic - British Plastics Federation (BPF).
• ICD Vietnam shipping policy, return policy and purchasing and payment guide (icdvietnam.com.vn, retrieved 17 Oct 2026); roll specifications come from the ICD-MPE PE stretch film product pages on the same website.