As you might guess, product wrap is a type of packaging material used to protect products during shipping. It’s ideal for preventing breakage with fragile goods. And it eliminates wear and scratches when you pack multiple items in one box.

All product wraps aren’t equally effective, though. When you choose a highly effective product wrap like HexcelWrap™, you not only protect your products and enjoy fewer returns, but you also protect the planet. That’s a noble endeavor, but it’s also rapidly becoming law around the globe.

What is the Purpose of a product wrap?

Product wrap is a protective barrier designed to safeguard items during shipping and storage. It prevents breakage that can lead to costly returns and exchanges. What’s your current return rate? The formula to calculate this is:

(Number of units returned / Total Sold) x 100

In 2025, the average for online sellers was over 24%, including returns for damage. Ouch. If you ship fragile merchandise, you can reduce that rate by using the right product wrap and packing items carefully.

Lowering your return and exchange rates saves businesses of every size money. And it improves customer satisfaction, leading to more positive online reviews that attract new customers.

You’ve probably seen or used product wrap when buying or packing china or glassware at home. It’s great for use with ceramics, electronics, and jewelry. And it’s popular with Etsy and eBay sellers, too, who want their one-of-a-kind items, like framed art, to reach their destinations unscathed.

What to Look for When Choosing Product Wrap

Many companies, especially startups, select product wrap strictly based on purchase price. That’s a mistake. There are other factors to consider, many of which affect your bottom line over the long term, not just when clicking “order” on your packing materials.

Superior Cushioning for Protection

Protecting your items from potential damage is a product wrap’s primary job. How the wrap is designed and how it actually functions play a serious role in how well it does this.

You want to look for a product wrap made with a slit-paper design. It transforms from two dimensions to three-dimensional protection using a honeycomb structure. It never flattens out like a plastic bubble. And it sticks to itself and other honeycomb packing materials, so you never need adhesives or tapes. You get a nice, tight fit without spending extra money on supplies and labor.

Value and Cost Effectiveness

Above, we mentioned that it’s not just the product's wrap-up-front price that’s important. You want to consider it an investment from start to finish and examine how it affects your long-term finances. That’s the definition of value versus simply cost.

The best product wrap—kraft paper honeycomb wrap—reduces returns and exchanges for wear and breakage. And it’s more efficient because it takes up less storage space while ultimately providing superior protection.

You don’t have to overstuff your boxes with wasted packing products in an attempt to hedge your bets against damage. You may even be able to use smaller shipping boxes with this efficiency, reducing your shipping expenses for both weight and dimensions. That’s crucial given rising shipping costs in 2026 and likely to continue.

Ease of Use and Versatility

Your product wrap should be easy to use in a variety of settings. Although you may be using it mostly for mailing items, you might also want it for your store locations, pop-up shops, or art fairs.

HexcelWrap, for example, comes in three different width sizes: 12”, 16”, and 32”. That lets you pick the right fit for every use. It also works with several manual dispensing systems, all of which are easy to use, and some of which are highly portable. Whether you choose the Mini Packing Station™ or the Mini Pack™ box dispenser, this product wrap requires no extra training. That makes it perfect for your fluctuating staffing needs, like seasonal help.

Attractive Appearance

Just because your product wrap is functional doesn’t mean it can’t also be visually appealing. It’s the first thing customers see during unboxing. And with the rise of social media unboxing videos, your packaging is being evaluated alongside your merchandise by viewers.

For this reason, and for uses such as monthly subscription boxes, HexcelWrap is available in natural and white shades. You can also special-order it in black to align your packaging with your brand’s aesthetic.

Environmental Impact

The environmental impact of packaging was something only a small percentage of customers cared about. But that’s changed recently, and you can read more about why in the following section.

But for now, know that the number of consumers who want eco-conscious products and packaging is growing rapidly. They’re willing to give their business to companies that offer sustainable packaging, and they’re even willing to pay more for it.

The efforts of these consumers, combined with growing awareness of the health risks of plastic packaging, have contributed to changes in shipping regulations in the US and abroad. Many states are changing their laws to phase out plastic packaging and require sustainable alternatives. Likewise, European, Oceanic, and Asian nations are doing the same. To stay competitive, your company will need to embrace sustainable packaging or face stiff fines and loss of business.

Why Sustainable Product Wrap Is Better

Plastic packaging has been the norm for decades. But around the world, an alarming 90% of plastic packaging ends up in landfills or pollutes the environment. It’s finally being recognized as a growing problem for the planet.

Landfills are overflowing, leaving communities wondering what to do with waste. And as plastic packaging breaks down—taking decades or even centuries—it has terrible consequences for soil, water, and wildlife. The worst of this is microplastics, tiny bits of plastic that are present now on all seven continents. We breathe them, absorb them, and consume them through the food chain, leading to severe health problems for humans as well.

Microplastics, aka nanoplastics, are associated with:

• Infertility
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Respiratory illness
• Reduced cognitive function

Fortunately, sustainable paper packaging, such as HexcelWrap, offers a solution. It’s biodegradable and compostable. This means consumers can use it to make garden soil or landscape fill, alongside fruit peels and coffee grounds.

It’s also curbside recyclable, so that it can be binned with other recyclables for weekly home pickup. While many types of plastic packaging claim to be recyclable, in practice, they are not. They require specialized facilities that aren’t accessible to most municipalities, so the plastic material ends up in the trash… and the cycle of creating microplastics continues.

A better cycle is one where products are reused and recycled. That’s referred to as the “circular economy,” and it’s better for the planet and your budget.

Two other factors make packaging sustainable, in addition to it being recyclable and compostable:

• It’s responsibly produced. The packaging is made with minimal environmental impact, both in the production process and in the selection of renewable raw materials.
• It’s nontoxic for workers and customers. Microplastics don’t just come from decomposing plastic. You can be exposed through touching and breathing plastic packaging. Sustainable paper packaging is safe, even for people who handle it for hours a day.

HexcelWrap Ticks Every Box

If you want a product wrap that meets every plus listed above, it’s HexcelWrap. This product wrap is part of a suite of sustainable packaging solutions from HexcelPack, including void fill, protective mailers, pallet wrap, and wood-free crating.

Our team is an expert at customizing packaging for businesses of all sizes across virtually every industry. Reach out today to order product wrap and find out how our sustainable packing materials can help your business thrive.