Cellophane
About Cellophane
A part of life’s joy lies in witnessing that anticipating look on a friend or family member’s face when they tear open your gift. But what of the poor wrapping paper? Crumbled on the floor, we all usually tend to discard them. While many eco-conscious and frugal gift-givers already recycle their gift wraps. And one more innovative way to encourage more people to do so is buying them a wrap that’s too pretty to rip, like the cellophane wraps.
Before we find out how you can use cellophane, don’t you want to know what these sheets are all about? Cello wraps have long been used to encase candies and baked goodies. It can also wrap flowers, whether real or artificial. Made of natural products like wood or cotton pulp, these were originally marketed as the best packaging material in America in 1924. These sheets were the most popular choice for film until the production of Polypropylene. Today, you can find both of them used for various purposes. And we can confidently say that out of the two; cellophane is more versatile. That said, let’s now look at their uses and types in our next section.
The various cellophane products and their uses
Cellophane is not a paper wrapper or cello paper; both are incorrect terms often used by many of us. Cellophane is not paper! Today, these clear sheets come in various types that you can use for different purposes. For example, printed cellophane is a cello wrap with printed patterns or designs for a lovely effect. You can use these cellos for flower wrapping or for wrapping confectionaries. Aside from this, you’ll find cello wraps in rainbow colours ranging from opaque to translucent styles. While each type of cello wrap has its most common use, you can use all types for various purposes. Let’s find out a few such cello wraps and their uses.
The large cellophane bags
There’s nothing more convenient than slipping your gifts into a clear cello bag. They have multiple size variants. This means there’s one for everyone and everything. For instance, small cello bags are apt for wrapping candies and chocolates. And then there are large cello bags that allow you to slip in anything huge and pack them neatly. The advancement of technology and their high demand have pushed the manufacturers to produce cello bags that come with sealers. These sealers help you tightly seal any item that you place inside them.
The perfect cellophane gift wrap
The waterproof nature of cello wraps makes them an ideal choice for wrapping fresh and artificial flowers. The material also has low permeability to moisture, oxygen, bacteria, oil and greases. It enhances the presentation of the flowers, but it also preserves them for a long time. When it comes to wrapping various gifts, you can choose wraps, among various printed and coloured cellos. The cello gift wrap is an excellent alternative to craft paper for stuffing gift bags. Besides, you can also find clear cellos that are apt for gift packaging, such as wrapping hampers or packaging wine bottles.
The cellophane envelopes
There’s nothing more convenient than slipping your gifts and goodies into a neatly sealed cello envelope. Cello envelopes are one of the best versions of cello gift wraps. All you need to do is to put in the gifts and seal them tightly. Today, you can find several types of cello envelopes in the market. One of the best among the many options out there is the crystal clear cello envelope with a peel-off strip for sealing. These envelopes are non-porous, super clear, non-stretching, and feel crinkly and not soft like poly bags. You can fold over the longer flap of the bag to seal, and you can easily reopen them too. They are perfect for protecting and showing casing your card creations or artwork.
Cellophane or plastic; the difference
Cellophane is very different from plastic materials. Unlike plastic, the cellos are natural fibres from wood and cotton pulp derivatives. When the plastic can be recycled and reused, you cannot do that with cellos, as they’re biodegradable. So, you can send them to compost or a landfill as regular garbage. However, this doesn’t mean that the cellos are completely eco-friendly. In addition to using wood as raw material, cello production requires toxic carbon disulphide. Moreover, cello products end up releasing methane. And we all know methane is a powerful global warming gas. So, we definitely cannot pick sides when using plastics and cello for gifts.
Tips on how to buy Cellophane
Now that you know the various uses of cellophane, the next step is to choose the best one. But that’s where you need to be careful. Remember, you just cannot pick any model for any purpose. If you fail to check their features and variants, in the end, you might end up with something that’ll just spoil the whole purpose. Here are a few easy tips for you to choose the right one to wrap your gifts stylishly.
- Know the purpose – Remember, these sheer sheets aren’t just for wrapping gifts. Being a derivative of natural products, you can use them in the food industry too. These days, you’ll find several foods being wrapped up in these sheets.
- Make sure to match the occasion – Even though there are various uses for these sheers, you ideally use them for wrapping gifts. So, whether it be for birthdays, festivals, or for something else, make sure you pick the suitable ones. You could always buy a few rolls of different colours and patterns to experiment with.
- Try and buy in bulk – If you’re someone who loves to indulge in gifting, then make sure you have these wrapping articles in stock. In other words, it’s best to buy them in bulk. Besides, they come in rolls that you can store conveniently.
- Get the right size – Cellos are most effective when you loosely wrap them around a product. Thus, getting the right size you require is essential. For instance, if you want to wrap large gifts, you can always get large cellophane. All you need to do is to slip your gifts inside these bags.
- Look out for colours – You’ll find cellos in different colours, prints, and designs. Most of them are vibrant, while you’ll also find some that are dull or soft in colour. Make sure you pick one that best suits your requirement.
- Consider reusing – Cellophanes being natural products, can be reused a couple of times. However, before doing this, make sure that you do not pick one that’s crumbled or spoiled for wrapping up a gift. It’s better to use a brand new one for wrapping up your gifts.
Baby steps such as adding glitter, ribbons, or sequins on plain paper instantly make your gift wrap stand out. Well, with Cellophanes, you need not do these. That’s because they themselves are an excellent embellishment to any gifts out there. However, you must make sure that you do not take any hasty decisions while choosing the products. Carefully assess the various specs that make the final call. We hope the above tips will be your guiding light when you’re frisking through the various options online.
Question & Answer
Is cellophane a plastic?
No, cellophane isn’t the same as plastic. Cello is a thin clear film derived from natural fibres such as cotton or wood pulp. They’re ideally made by the adhesive method. Indeed, they’re transparent like plastics and even look like them. But they’re non-toxic, unlike plastic and tasteless too. And since it doesn’t allow air, oil, bacteria, or water to easily penetrate through the material. With these properties, you can utilise them for wrapping your food apart from the gifts. It is indeed an elegant packing for gifts and secure packing for food and beverages. You can compare them with other packing materials to validate further or even read reviews online.
How long does cellophane take to biodegrade?
As we’ve seen earlier, these sheer sheets are made of natural materials, and hence it is obvious that they’ll degrade. However, the time that it takes to biodegrade depends on whether it’s coated or not. Researchers state that uncoated cellulose film only takes about ten days to 1 month to degrade when buried. However, if the sheets are coated with nitrocellulose, then it’ll take about 2-3 months to degrade. If you are an environmentally friendly person, the degrading time has certainly made you happy. As compared to plastic, this is pretty decent.
At what temperature does cellophane melt?
There can be a casting of thick viscose solution through a slot dye that forms these sheer sheets. However, the temperature control of the polymer melt is very important. This sheer sheet melts at 175-205 Celsius, which is around 347 Fahrenheit. Therefore, aside from wrapping gifts & gadgets , you can utilise them for wrapping up your food too. You do not have to worry about cellophane particles entering your food in hot weather. The food is safe even if you put it in the microwave wrapped in cellophane; just make the sheets are microwave safe.
Where can I buy the best cellophane products?
With their rising popularity and demands, today, you can easily purchase several cellophane products even in supermarkets. However, picking out a good quality product is always important, whether it be for wrapping your gifts or covering your food. You can check out Shops.ae if you want to effortlessly buy cellophane gift wraps online in UAE. This smart product search engine brings to you a curated collection of these sheer sheets from popular brands like Hygloss Products, Craft and Party, Adorox, Outus, A1 Bakery Supplies, and Crown Display.