eco-friendly mailers frequently asked questions

FAQs.

wastebased general questions.

WHAT’S YOUR SHIPPING POLICY?

we ship worldwide from the UK. you can find our estimated delivery times as well as our complete shipping policy here.

as part of our commitment to sustainability, we don’t offer express delivery services (express delivery, particularly same and next day, is significantly more carbon-intensive than regular delivery).

WHAT’S YOUR RETURNS POLICY?

you can read our returns policy here. we discourage “change of mind” returns due to the environmental impact of double shipping, wasted packaging and damaged returns. we encourage all our customers to buy only what you need and if you’re not sure about an order, contact us beforehand and we’ll help you out!

HOW DO I TRACK MY ORDER?

you can find your tracking number and courier details in the fulfilment email that was sent to you when your order was dispatched. if you haven’t received a fulfilment email, please check your spam folder in case your email provider has marked the message as spam. if you still can’t find your order fulfilment email, your order may not have been shipped yet. if it’s been more than 3 business days since you placed an order but you can’t find your fulfilment email, please contact us.

small orders shipped within the UK via Royal Mail such as sample packs and single bundles of mailers are not trackable. normally these will arrive within 2-5 business days. all other orders are sent via a trackable service. you can track your order on the following pages:

  • if your courier is DPD, please click here to track your item.
  • if your courier is OCS, please click here to track your item.
  • if your courier is DHL, please click here to track your item.

it may take up to 48 hours after you receive your order fulfilment email for your tracking number to appear on the courier’s website. if your tracking number does not appear, please try again later.

CAN YOU SEND ME AN INVOICE FOR MY ORDER?

a copy of your invoice will be available for download on the order confirmation page immediately after you pay for your order. we’ll also send you an order confirmation email with a copy of your invoice attached. please check your spam folder if you can’t find this email. if you can’t find it, email us and we’ll re-send you a copy.

DO YOU HAVE A MEDIA KIT?

yes, please click here for our media kit. inside the kit are badges that you can include in the footer of your website as well as images of our current product lines.

I'M A WHOLESALE CUSTOMER.

then this is the place for you! our site is designed to be easy and intuitive regardless of whether you’re interested in 50 mailers or 3,000. looking for more than 3,000 units per size? contact us for wholesale options.

  • you can download a copy of your VAT invoice immediately after purchase on the order confirmation page.
  • we’ll also attach a copy of your VAT invoice to your order confirmation email.
  • create an account with us to track your deliveries, view past orders, save time during checkout by keeping your billing and delivery details up to date, view and download all of your VAT invoices and more.

DO YOU OFFER CUSTOMISED PRODUCTS?

all of our products are as minimal as possible and designed with customisation in mind. we encourage all of our customers to stick and stamp them with their own branded stickers and stamps. to learn more, please check out our customisation guide! for bespoke options, please contact us.

WHAT ARE YOUR MOQs?

the medium size compostable mailer comes in boxes of 600, the large size comes in bundles of 50 or boxes of 300 and the extra large size comes in bundles of 50 or boxes of 200. small (e-co)mmerce mailers come in bundles of 100 or in boxes of 1000, and medium (e-co)mmerce mailers are available in bundles of 50 and 100. we try to reuse left over boxes whenever possible for combined orders to minimise our environmental footprint so don’t be concerned if the text on the box doesn’t match what you ordered!

the item bag 2.0 comes packaged in boxes of 1500 for the small size and 1000 for the large size.

WHERE ARE YOUR PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED?

the compostable mailer and our (e-co)mmerce mailers are manufactured in China. the item bag 2.0 is manufactured in Malaysia. we ship all orders from the UK.

DO YOUR PRODUCTS HAVE ANY SMELL?

yes, both our compostable mailers and the item bag 2.0 have a faint smell, however based on our testing, the smell does not transfer to fabrics stored inside the bags and becomes less noticeable with normal use.

IS MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE?

absolutely! the best places to start are our ecopackaging 101 and how to compost pages, which contain loads of useful definitions, information about ecopackaging and composting tips. if you can’t find what you’re after, email us!

the compostable mailer faqs.

HOW DO I SEAL THE MAILER?

each mailer comes with two easy and secure peel and seal adhesive strips (one for you to post it and one for zero waste returns). the peel and seal adhesive strips do not instantly seal strongly. the adhesive gets stronger over time – please let your parcels rest at room temperature after sealing (we recommend at least 2 hours – longer is even better) before posting. one thing to note is that if you peel off the strip quickly after sealing (e.g. to try and test the strength of the adhesive) and then try to re-seal it again, it may not achieve a strong seal.

the same applies to stickers and labels – these may not immediately adhere strongly to the compostable mailer and need to sit on the material for some time (we recommend at least 2 hours – longer is even better) before reaching their full strength. the compostable mailer also needs to be really dry and at room temperature for adhesives to adhere well. if you’re having problems with labels or stickers that don’t stick as well as you’d like, try ripping one off again in a few hours!

WHY IS THE COMPOSTABLE MAILER WHITE WITH A BLACK INTERIOR?

the compostable mailer is white* (actually it’s a very light grey) so that you can easily write an address on it if you don’t have a label handy or don’t use labels. if it was black you’d have no choice but to use a label! if we didn’t give the compostable mailer a black interior, it would be partially transparent. the black interior ensures maximum privacy without needing to thicken the material, which would consume more ingredients, produce more emissions and result in the mailer taking longer to biodegrade.

WHAT IS PRINTED ON THE COMPOSTABLE MAILER?

at the bottom of the compostable mailer on the back side we’ve printed a few lines of text for several reasons. the first is that many people aren’t familiar with compostable mailers yet so it’s important to highlight the fact that they’re compostable. this way people won’t mistake them for conventional plastic mailers and incorrectly dispose of them. we want the compostable mailer to have the best chance of being composted correctly, which is the ideal way to dispose of it. by highlighting that it’s not made from conventional plastic, we’re also trying to make sure that the brands who are using them aren’t mistakenly criticised for continuing to use conventional poly mailers. in the bottom right corner of the mailer is a QR code that contains a link to our multi-language disposal guide, so you can sell worldwide with confidence. we’re continuing to upgrade this guide with more languages.

we also want to encourage a society-wide shift towards composting. continuing to use recyclable plastic items such as poly mailers perpetuates our current throwaway society. when we throw recyclable plastics in the recycling bin (often unsorted, contaminated or without knowing if they are really recyclable or if they will, in fact, be recycled or not), we’re absolving ourselves of the guilt of further dealing with them and passing that burden on to others. by fundamentally shifting to composting model, where we take responsibility for our own waste and turn it into amazing things like compost, we’re breaking that cycle and no longer contributing to the plastics crisis. if we are to truly turn the environmental and plastics crises around, we all need to fundamentally change and we believe one of those changes is composting more and stopping relying on a broken recycling system.

CAN I WRITE ON IT?

yes! you can write on the compostable mailer (and the item bag 2.0). ballpoint pens and some types of permanent markers will work on the compostable mailer, on the item bag ballpoint pens may not work. other types of non-permanent markers and pens like highlighters will not adhere to the material so you should test a small area first to confirm that your ink will not smudge. some inks require a minute or so to dry properly on the materials.

CAN I STICK LABELS AND STICKERS ONTO IT?

yes! in fact, we really encourage it – sticking eco-friendly paper based or compostable stickers onto the compostable mailer is a great way to customise it and make it fit perfectly with your brand. click here to explore our customisation guide. you can also stick all types of thermal shipping labels onto the compostable mailer.

stickers and labels may not immediately adhere strongly to the compostable mailer and need to sit on the material for some time (we recommend at least 2 hours – longer is even better) before reaching their full strength. the compostable mailer also needs to be really dry for adhesives to adhere well. if you’re having problems with labels or stickers that don’t stick as well as you’d like, try ripping one off again in a few hours!

CAN I STAMP IT?

yes! in fact, we really encourage it – stamping the compostable mailer with your logo is a great way to easily customise it and make it fit perfectly with your brand. click here to explore our customisation guide.

not all stamp inks work on the compostable mailer. we recommend a non-toxic, permanent ink suitable for non-porous surfaces such as glass and plastic. some inks designed for paper and porous surfaces such as 850 series ink for pre-inked stamps also work well. you need to wait a while for inks to set on the mailers to avoid smudging – normally about 15 minutes. we recommend ordering a sample pack first if you are intending to stamp the mailers to test out different inks.

DO THE SPECIFIED DIMENSIONS INCLUDE THE FLAP?

no, we provide all flap dimensions separately. if you want to calculate how long the mailer is with the flap open, just add up the length of the mailer and the flap length.

HOW STRONG IS THE COMPOSTABLE MAILER?

compostable mailers are very similar in strength to poly mailers. we don’t recommend the compostable mailer for heavy or sharp items without appropriate padding.

IS THE COMPOSTABLE MAILER WATERPROOF?

the material is 100% waterproof however it’s possible that water could enter through the adhesive strip as the seal is not 100% waterproof. just like a poly mailer.

WHAT IS THE COMPOSTABLE MAILER MADE FROM?

the compostable mailer is made from:

  • starch (from field corn);
  • PLA (Polylactic Acid);
  • PBAT (Polybutyrate Adipate Terephthalate); and
  • <0.5% processing additives.

all of these ingredients are required to ensure that the compostable mailer is strong, biodegrades quickly, is possible to manufacture and leaves no toxic residue behind. please have a look at our ecopackaging 101 page to learn more.

I’VE BEEN SENT A COMPOSTABLE MAILER. WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?

please take a look at our disposal guides.

ARE COMPOSTABLE MAILERS PERISHABLE?

yes. the compostable mailer is best used within 12 months of its date of manufacture. after this, the mailers may start to weaken and degrade, losing strength and eventually becoming too weak to post things in. we recommend storing them in a dark, cool, dry place away from moisture, direct sunlight and organic matter. the better your storage conditions, the longer they’ll last!

please test compostable mailers before posting them if their best before date has elapsed. compostable mailers that are no longer strong enough to post should be disposed of in a compost bin.

HOW LONG WILL COMPOSTABLE MAILERS TAKE TO BIODEGRADE?

that depends on the conditions they’re in.

in a correctly maintained compost bin, they will have substantially biodegraded in about 6 months. in an industrial composter, they should biodegrade even faster. if they’re thrown “away” (e.g. under a tree) they’ll biodegrade more slowly, but still faster than a poly mailer would. exactly how fast will depend on a number of factors, including the temperature, the presence of organic matter and the levels of moisture and humidity.

IS THE COMPOSTABLE MAILER RECYCLABLE?

no. because compostable mailers are designed to break down naturally, they’re not recyclable. please don’t throw them in the recycling bin. if you can’t compost them, re-use them as many times as you can, then throw them in with your food waste.

before disposing of the compostable mailer with food waste or composting, please remove all non-compostable labels and recycle the removable backing from their adhesive strips.

we know the term ‘recyclable’ is big out there, but we advocate for not having to recycle in the first place and just because something is recyclable, doesn’t mean it’s going to be recycled. for more information on the ongoing recycling crisis, please read this article.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A COMPOSTABLE MAILER ENDS UP IN LANDFILL?

just like fruit peel, the compostable mailer is designed to biodegrade in the presence of oxygen, heat and moisture, and these usually aren’t all present underground in a landfill.

landfills aren’t an ideal environment for anything to break down in – even the most natural things like raw fruit and vegetables. compostable mailers would probably behave much like any other naturally compostable material in a landfill – remain inert or biodegrade much more slowly than they would in a compost bin.

MY CUSTOMERS (PROBABLY) DON’T HAVE COMPOST BINS, WHY SHOULD I USE COMPOSTABLE MAILERS?

lots of people don’t have home compost facilities yet, but this is changing! we hope that this continues, but in the meantime, if you believe in composting or are concerned about the plastics crisis, share this with your customers! you have an incredibly influential position as a business owner and an opportunity to spread the good word. maybe your customers don’t know anything about composting yet, but are dying to find out! maybe when they receive their next item inside a compostable mailer that will be the trigger to encourage them to learn more, buy a compost bin or adopt some new eco-friendly habits. maybe they’re just waiting for you to step up and take the lead!

the item bag 2.0 faqs.

WHAT ARE ITEM BAGS MADE FROM?

they’re made from Hydropol, a modified co-polymer based on vinyl acetate hydrolysed monomers. the polymer is similar to polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH/PVA), the material used to coat dishwasher/laundry tablets. the material is a non-bio-based, biodegradable bioplastic which is hydrophilic (see below).

WHAT DOES HYDROPHILIC MEAN?

item bags are hydrophilic, meaning that they are attracted to water. this means that they are soluble in water, which is the perfect way to dispose of them. but it also means that they are very sensitive to moisture and humidity during storage and use. they are not suitable for protecting items from moisture or humidity. they are designed to protect items from dirt, dust, scratches and light damage inside temperature controlled environments with a constant relative humidity of less than 50%.

ARE ITEM BAGS REALLY WATER SOLUBLE?

yes. in boiling water they will dissolve in a matter of seconds. in colder temperatures they will dissolve much more slowly or not at all. dishwasher/laundry tablet coatings made from polyvinyl alcohol have been disposed of in wastewater for many years and there is significant scientific literature discussing the biodegradation of dissolved polyvinyl alcohol in wastewater. never dispose of item bags in natural water sources like oceans, rivers or lakes because they may pose a suffocation/entanglement risk to aquatic life before they break down.

WHEN ITEM BAGS ARE DISSOLVED, ARE MICROPLASTICS FORMED?

no. the resulting mixture contains mineralised biomass and non-toxic ink (the ink is soluble in alcohol, not water), not microplastics. when item bags are placed into boiling water, the carbon in the item bags breaks down via a process of oxidation to form smaller oxidised polymer chains. the resulting material is called “mineralised biomass.” these smaller chains are expected to break down further in the wastewater stream to form carbon dioxide and water.

the generally accepted definition of microplastics are plastic particles <5mm in diameter. item bags incorrectly disposed of may initially break down into small particles before they biodegrade. however, due to the hydrophilic nature of the material, these small particles will not absorb or accumulate toxins like traditional hydrophobic microplastics and will eventually biodegrade rather than persist in the environment. the material used to manufacture item bags has no ecotoxicological effect in the marine environment (ASTM D6691).

ARE ITEM BAGS BIODEGRADABLE?

the material used to manufacture the item bag 2.0 is inherently biodegradable and our inks are non-toxic. biodegradation has been observed by several different genera of bacteria, yeast and mould occurring in activated sludge, compost, facultative ponds, landfills, anaerobic digesters and septic systems and in natural soil and aquatic environments. as the item bag 2.0 is a new product, testing is ongoing.

ARE ITEM BAGS COMPOSTABLE?

we don’t recommend home composting item bags. testing for anaerobic digestion is ongoing. we recommend that you dispose of item bags in boiling water rather than in compost.

ARE ITEM BAGS RECYCLABLE?

item bags are able to be identified by infrared sorting equipment at recycling facilities and separated from other plastics allowing them to be recycled and avoiding cross contamination of recycling streams. they can also be separated by a hot washing process which would dissolve them but leave non-water soluble traditional plastics behind. however this technology is not commonly available because the volume of water soluble bags on the market is not currently high enough to make recycling them commercially viable. we recommend that you dispose of item bags in boiling water rather than recycling them.

ARE ITEM BAGS SELF-SEAL?

no, item bags do not have a self-seal adhesive strip. they can be left unsealed or sealed with a sticker or label. the flap folds to the back of the bag. permanent adhesives will leave residue on the bag if peeled off, so these are good for making permanent seals. for temporary seals, please use a non-permanent adhesive. we recommend testing sealing solutions before purchasing as labels come with a wide variety of adhesives.

HOW DO I STORE THEM?

storage instructions:

  1. keep unused item bags sealed in their protective wrapping until needed.
  2. store and use item bags indoors at < 40⁰C and at a relative humidity of less than 50%. if exposed to a higher relative humidity, item bags may start to feel oily or slimy. this means that moisture in the air is adhering to the surface of the bags. if this happens, please move the bags to a dry area with lower relative humidity.
  3. handle item bags with dry hands only. avoid all contact with wet/sweaty hands and moisture.

WHAT IS THEIR SHELF LIFE?

because the item bag 2.0 is a new product, we are still in the process of testing to determine the maximum shelf life and lifespan in normal use. at the moment we estimate that the shelf life of item bags in optimal storage conditions is approximately 1 year. we don’t recommend using the item bag 2.0 as a long term storage solution.

item bags are hydrophilic in nature and are consequently sensitive to moisture and humidity. they are not suitable for protecting items from moisture or humidity. they are designed to protect items from dust, scratches and light exposure inside temperature and humidity-controlled environments.

DO ITEM BAGS FEEL OILY / SLIMY?

item bags should feel similar to normal plastic. if an item bag feels oily or slimy, this means that the level of moisture/humidity in the air is too high and, due to the hydrophilic nature of the material, water is now adhering to the surface of the bag, making it feel oily/slimy. please move the bag to a less damp/humid environment and let it dry out. if the duration of exposure is short, the bag should return to its normal texture.

WHAT IS THE MOQ?

the MOQ is 1 carton. the small size comes in cartons of 1500 units (6 packs of 250 bags each) and the large size comes in cartons of 1000 units (4 packs of 250 bags each). each carton is moisture sealed to ensure maximum shelf life. because item bags are sensitive to moisture, we can’t sell part cartons or repackage item bags for sale in smaller quantities.

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