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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

the compostable mailer is made from:
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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.

please take a look at our disposal guides.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!