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Compostable Poly Mailers

Lightweight, flexible mailer, compostable at home or in industrial facilities.
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Overview Materials Printing Sustainability Gallery Dielines FAQ

Compostable mailers have all the lightweight shipping benefits of traditional poly mailers, but with proper disposal, they break down into natural components that aid in healthy soil. 

These mailers can be made from renewable or nonrenewable materials. They can be composted in a home compost bin or in industrial composting facilities, depending on local availability.

Mailers come with one adhesive strip, but a second one can be added for easy returns.

Alternatives

Poly Mailers
Only recyclable at dropoff facilities
Flexible Kraft Mailers
More accessible recycling and compost
See all mailers

Materials

Available in the following materials.
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Polylactic Acid/Adipate Polybutylene Terephthalate (PLA/PBAT)

PLA is derived from renewable biomass, typically from fermented plant starch from corn, cassava, sugarcane or sugar beet pulp. When combined with PBAT — a fossil fuel derivative — it becomes stronger and more flexible.

Printing

Available with the following printing processes.
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Flexography

An economical option, ideal for printing high volumes on porous surfaces like corrugated and paper. Flexo can also be used on non-porous surfaces like film and rigid plastic.

Rotogravure

Great for printing fine detail, gradients, and bright colors, consistently throughout many print runs. The roto process is built to print on flexible materials like plastic film.

Sustainability properties

This products meets the following sustainability properties, or can be custom manufactured to meet them.
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Ai

Alternative inks

Uses vegetable or soy oil as a base, rather than petroleum.
R

Renewable

Made from materials that can regenerate on a human time scale and be responsibly managed.
Vr

Volume reduction

Reduces the amount of space necessary for transit and storage.
Wr

Weight reduction

Reduces overall weight in transit.
C

Compostable

Breaks down into natural components that become part of healthy soil.
Dr

Drop-off recyclable

Can be recycled when deposited at a designated facility.

Dielines for standard sizes

Dielines are templates you can edit with Adobe Illustrator to create advanced packaging designs.
Read our how-to guide
7.50 × 10.50 inches
10.00 × 13.00 inches
12.00 × 15.50 inches
14.50 × 19.00 inches
19.00 × 24.00 inches

Frequently asked questions

PLA/PBAT mailers have a shelf life of 9-18 months, depending on moisture and temperature. For the longest shelf life, store them in a dry, cool environment.

The PLA/PBAT mailers are certified home compostable and industrial compostable.

In the optimal conditions of industrial composting facilities, compostable plastic breaks down within 90 days, leaving behind only CO2 and water. An ideal mix of moisture, oxygen circulation, and temperature accelerate the material breakdown.

In a home composting bin, it takes come practice to mimic this ideal mixture. Break down can take up to a year for compostable plastics.

Access to industrial composting is limited, but as compostable plastic becomes more common, we hope to see more options — both home and industrial — for composting. For now, there are a few ways to ensure your compostable plastic ends up in the best place:

  • Provide resources for easy home composting.
  • Offer resources to mail-in or in-person dropoffs.
  • Encourage reuse — if your customer can extend the life of your packaging, they’re sparing new resources. Consider adding a second adhesive strips for a return strip, or encourage your customers to reuse the mailers for other uses.