BOPP Packaging Film

What is BOPP?

BOPP stands for Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene. It’s a polypropylene film that’s been stretched in two directions - along the machine (lengthways) and across the web (transverse). This orientation process transforms ordinary polypropylene into a high-performance packaging material.

The stretching aligns the polymer chains, creating a film with properties that far exceed the raw material: exceptional clarity (up to 90% light transmission), high stiffness, good moisture barrier, and excellent surface for printing. It’s lighter than many alternatives, runs reliably on high-speed equipment, and offers genuine value for money.

BOPP has largely replaced cellophane in food packaging. It offers better barrier properties, costs less, lasts longer, and handles better on modern packaging machinery.

How We Supply BOPP

Our BOPP film is co-extruded with multiple layers:

• Heat-sealable surfaces on both sides - seal directly without additional sealant films or adhesives
• Corona-treated print surface - accepts flexographic and gravure inks with strong adhesion

We stock plain BOPP in popular sizes for flow wrap, centre-folded reels, and wicketed bags. Specialist grades and custom sizes are made to order.

BOPP Film Types

Plain/Clear BOPP

The standard grade - crystal clear with high gloss. Ideal when you want maximum product visibility. Used for confectionery wrapping, bakery packaging, overwrap, and anywhere the product itself is the selling point.

Available in gloss or matte finish. Matte BOPP has a softer, paper-like appearance that’s popular for premium positioning.

Metallised BOPP

A microscopic layer of aluminium deposited on the film surface. This delivers:

• Enhanced barrier to oxygen, moisture, and light
• Distinctive metallic appearance
• Extended shelf life for oxygen-sensitive products

Metallised BOPP is typically used as part of a laminate structure where you need both barrier performance and an attractive metallic finish.

Pearlised BOPP

Also called cavitated BOPP. The film contains tiny voids that scatter light, creating an opaque, pearlescent finish. Benefits include:

• Elegant, premium appearance
• Lower density (more area per kg)
• Good opacity without heavy pigmentation

Pearlised BOPP works well for confectionery and premium packaging. It’s also used in laminate structures and for printed films where you need significant white ink coverage - starting with a white or pearlised base reduces the amount of ink required.

Anti-Mist BOPP

Treated to prevent condensation forming on the inside of the pack. Essential for:

• Chilled products (sandwiches, prepared salads)
• Fresh produce where temperature changes cause fogging
• Any refrigerated application where product visibility matters

Without anti-mist treatment, packs fog up the moment they hit the chiller cabinet and your product becomes invisible.

PVDC Coated BOPP

PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride) coating adds a serious barrier layer to BOPP - significantly improved resistance to oxygen and moisture transmission. Available as PVDC alone or PVDC with acrylic coating for enhanced printability.

Used when standard BOPP doesn’t quite deliver the barrier performance you need, but you want to stay with a mono-material structure rather than moving to laminates.

White Opaque BOPP

Solid white film for applications where you don’t want to see the product - or where you need a clean background for printing. Common uses include:

• Overwrap where opacity matters
• Products that don’t photograph well
• Packaging where the graphics do all the selling

BOPP vs Other Films

BOPP vs CPP: Both are polypropylene, but CPP is cast (not oriented) making it softer and more flexible. CPP has better tear resistance and seals at lower temperatures, but BOPP has superior clarity, stiffness, and printability. CPP is often used as a sealant layer in laminates where BOPP provides the outer printed surface.

BOPP vs LDPE: LDPE is more flexible, more puncture resistant, and less brittle than BOPP. But BOPP wins on clarity, stiffness, barrier properties, and appearance. Choose based on whether you need toughness or presentation.

BOPP vs PET: PET has superior tensile strength and barrier properties, but BOPP is lighter, cheaper, and easier to seal. For most food packaging applications, BOPP offers better value.

Applications

BOPP is versatile enough for most flexible packaging applications:

Confectionery

• Flow wrap for chocolate bars and biscuits
• Overwrap for boxed chocolates
• Bags and pouches for sweets
• Pearlised film for premium presentation

Bakery

• Bread bags and bap packaging
• Croissant and pastry wrapping
• Cake and muffin packaging
• Hot cross bun packs

Snacks

• Popcorn bags
• Biscuits and cookies
• Nuts and dried fruit

Fresh Produce

• Salad bags (anti-mist grade)
• Vegetable packaging
• Fruit punnets overwrap

Heat Sealing

Our co-extruded BOPP seals at 120-140°C depending on the grade. The heat-sealable layers on both sides mean you can seal film-to-film directly without sealant coatings or lamination.

Typical dwell times are 0.5-1.0 seconds. The sealing window is wide enough to maintain consistent seals across different equipment and line speeds.

Printing on BOPP

BOPP accepts both flexographic and gravure printing. The corona-treated surface provides excellent ink adhesion and allows for high-quality graphics with fine detail and vibrant colours.

The film’s high clarity and gloss enhance printed graphics - colours appear more vivid than on matte or opaque substrates. For a more subtle effect, matte BOPP provides a sophisticated, non-reflective finish.

Surface treatment levels can be specified to match your printing process. We’ll advise on the right treatment level for your inks and equipment.

Recyclability

BOPP is fully recyclable in polypropylene recycling streams (resin code #5 PP). As a mono-material film, it’s straightforward to recycle compared to multi-layer laminates that combine different plastics.

In the UK, flexible plastic recycling infrastructure is expanding. Major supermarkets now offer collection points for flexible plastics including BOPP film. The material can be recycled into a range of products from garden furniture to automotive parts.

Using BOPP also helps with the UK Plastic Packaging Tax - the mono-material structure makes it easier to incorporate recycled content compared to complex laminates.

For applications where packaging might escape collection systems, we also offer biodegradable BOPP - same performance as standard film, but certified to fully biodegrade in the natural environment without creating microplastics.

Stock and Lead Times

We hold stock of plain BOPP in popular sizes for immediate dispatch. This includes:

• Flow wrap film in standard widths
• Centre-folded reels for bread and bakery
• Wicketed bags in common sizes

For specialist grades (metallised, pearlised, anti-mist, coated) and custom sizes, lead times are typically 4-6 weeks. We source globally to ensure supply stability - if one region has issues, we have alternatives.

Our stockholding service lets you secure pricing and availability on larger orders while calling off smaller quantities as needed.

Choosing the Right Grade

Start with the application:

• Need maximum clarity? → Plain gloss BOPP
• Premium appearance? → Pearlised or matte BOPP
• Extended shelf life? → Metallised or PVDC-coated
• Chilled products? → Anti-mist BOPP
• Opacity required? → White BOPP

Then consider:

• What thickness? (Thicker = more stiffness and barrier, but higher cost)
• What width do you need?
• Reel format or bags?
• Printed or plain?

Working With Us

We stock plain BOPP in popular sizes for immediate dispatch. For specialist grades or custom specifications, we’ll advise on the right option for your application and source globally to get you competitive pricing with reliable lead times.

Not sure which grade you need? Give us a call - we’re happy to talk through your requirements.