From a sustainable packaging standpoint, securing boxes to a pallet for shipment is a choice of lesser evils. Among the leading options - steel strapping, polyester strapping, polypropylene strapping, and stretch wrap - stretch wrap is probably best, since it normally requires the least amount of mass per application.
How to Make Stretch Wrap Film Work with Heavy Palletized Loads
When corrugated boxes are heavy and/or dense - for instance, when shipping nuts and bolts - stretch wrap does not exert enough holding force on the palletized load to keep the load securely in place. For these applications, shippers will either replace stretch film with strapping, or use stretch wrap in conjunction with strapping.