What is Plastic wrap?
[[File:Pvc-Film.jpg|thumb|317x317px|A roll of Plastic wrap]] '''Plastic wrap''' (also '''cling wrap''', '''food wrap''', or '''clingfilm''') is a thin [[plastic]] material. It is used for sealing food in containers. It keeps food fresh over a long period of time without spoiling. It is usually sold on rolls in boxes with a cutting edge. Plastic wrap was first made from [[polyvinyl chloride]] (PVC). A common, cheaper alternative to PVC is low-density [[polyethylene]] (LDPE). LDPE doesn't stick to itself as well as PVC. In the [[United States]] and [[Japan]], Plastic wrap has sometimes been made of polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC). PVdC was the main ingredient in Saran Wrap, a popular brand of plastic wrap. Now, Saran Wrap is made with polyethylene.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saran Wrap|publisher=SaranBrands.com|url=http://www.saranbrands.com/faq.asp#10|access-date=Dec 30, 2016|archive-date=February 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205095936/http://www.saranbrands.com/faq.asp#10|url-status=dead}}</ref> Research shows that plastic wrapping of food is often not wasteful, because the food lasts longer. A study showed that only 3% of wrapped food was wasted in the UK, but up to 50% of food was wasted in an African country, where it was sold unwrapped.<ref>BBC Sounds programme [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csz2w3?intc_type=mixedcards&intc_location=bbcsounds&intc_campaign=iplayerfooter&intc_linkname=audioclip_50thingsthatmadetheeconomy_contentcard2]</ref> ==References== <references/> == Related pages == *[[Cellophane]] *[[Polyethylene]] [[Category:Polymer chemistry]] {{stub}} [[Category:Synthetic materials]]