Poly Mailers

Also called mailing bags or shipping bags, poly mailers are the most affordable of all packaging supplies for shipping durable and soft goods such as apparel, blankets, toys, purses, and more. These plastic packaging envelopes are constructed from thin, lightweight, yet sturdy polyethylene film that is waterproof and tamper-resistant.

Their self-sealing adhesive closure means no shipping tape is required to secure them closed, and because they do not take up as much space or weight as traditional shipping boxes, they are very cost-effective to ship and store.

Lay out your products on a table and measure the imaginary bounding box it would fit. The two dimensions of your mailer would need to exceed the largest two dimensions of your bounding box, plus a little extra room to compensate for the mailer’s expansion when it’s filled.

Once you have what you think is the perfect-sized mailer, try free samples to test those you are considering. One of the worst feelings in the world is gathering everything you need to start shipping and discovering that what you thought was perfect is too small to use. We encourage testing samples to avoid shipping issues.

As a frame of reference, we’ve assembled a table of everyday items shipped in our mailers.



EcoEnclose offers 8 mailer sizes:

• 6 x 9”
• 7.5 x 10.5”
• 9 x 12”
• 10 x 13”
• 12 x 15.5”
• 14 x 19”
• 19 x 24”
• 24 x 24”

Most poly mailers come with a self-seal adhesive that you can use to seal them. All you have to do is remove the release liner and fold the flap over the top of the package. This provides a secure and easy-to-use way to keep your products safe during transit.

Ours feature two seals and an easy-to-use tear strip, allowing them to be neatly opened and then reused with the second seals for returns, another shipment, or to send poly film back to EcoEnclose for recycling.

A reusable mailer is more sustainable and can help you build a seamless return experience. While we all hate returns, we also know that customers are far more likely to shop with you again if you’ve made their returns process as convenient as possible.

We have you covered if you want a tough, reusable mailer. Check out our ReEnclose Mailer, designed to be used 50 or more times, a great solution for apparel subscription companies and those who have baked a return shipment into their business model.

Polyethylene films (#4 or #2) can be recycled. In most American cities, individuals must bring the polyethylene films to designated drop-off points at stores. These drop-off bins should only contain pure, moisture-free polyethylene. You can find a participating store by clicking here.

Some curbside recycling programs are starting to accept these mailers, but it is advisable to check with your waste management provider to be sure. Most curbside programs do not accept them because they are too flimsy to be effectively sorted by the equipment at most Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs).

We also have a take-back program where customers who do not have access to thin film recycling can send these mailers back to EcoEnclose. We request that individuals stuff these mailers with poly film before returning them to us, as this helps reduce the carbon footprint and allows us to recycle even more poly film.

Our Guide to Thin Film Recycling and How2Recycle® Labeling is designed to help you navigate the nuance of thin film in your packaging.

Most high-quality poly mailers are tear-resistant, but they are not entirely tear-proof. However, as long as you're not overloading your packages and are shipping non-fragile items, poly mailers should be more than sufficient for your needs. EcoEnclose poly mailers are tear and tamper-resistant.

No, they are not suitable for shipping fragile items. They are best for non-fragile clothing, accessories, and other lightweight products. Consider using bubble mailers or other protective materials like shipping boxes for fragile pieces.

Yes, they are perfect for clothing and other textiles. They are lightweight, water-resistant, and durable, making them an ideal choice for online clothing retailers and e-commerce businesses. Just make sure to choose the right size for your product.

Yes. While these mailers best suit small and non-fragile orders, large options can accommodate bulkier items. However, you must choose the right size to ensure your orders arrive at their destination undamaged.

Our largest offerings are 14” x 19”, 19” x 24”, and 24” x 24", and they are suitable for large or bulky shipments.

In general, poly mailer bags are the cheapest. The actual product is less expensive than shipping boxes and paper mailers. The cost of transporting them to your facility and storing them is low because of the thinness of the material. They add almost no weight to your outbound shipment. You save on shipping costs from our facility to yours and your facility to your customers.

If you are trying to choose the most eco-friendly and cost-efficient option, we highly recommend our 100% recycled poly mailers as long as they work well for your shipments.

For small businesses with lower volume, poly mailers are a fantastic choice for quick and efficient transportation of light shipments. However, if the products are larger, shipping boxes could be a better option, even though they may incur higher costs.

Yes, white poly mailers are one of the most popular options. We offer an ivory color that is a soft white. They look clean and professional and are easy to write on if you need to add additional information.

We also offer gray. The only difference between our ivory and gray is the color of the mailer and the available sizes. They share the same quality recycled content and other eco-features and technical specs.

Yes, you can! Custom poly mailers are a great way to promote your business or brand. You can design them with your logo, company name, or other unique graphics. Design them so your sustainable packaging represents your eco values and brand.

For e-commerce companies, the shipped package represents the most direct touch point with a customer. Customization creates a solid first impression and encourages loyalty and repeat sales. Not to mention, 83 percent of consumers would share an image of a delivery via social media if it arrived with unique branding. So branding your mailer is an effective way to not only build loyalty, but it can also drive new sales.

Unlike many companies that require you to order 5,000 or more to get a basic print, we offer custom mailers for as low as one case. Find your desired mailer in the grid above and click “Customize Now.”

Some important things to keep in mind when thinking about customization:

• Prints are limited to one color
• Artwork must remain within the artwork boundary
• Artwork must be in vector format
• Read our complete list of artwork guidelines before placing your order

Even with these limitations, we produce stunning custom packaging.

Our printing capabilities greatly expand if you are interested in runs of at least 25,000 mailers. For more information on these options, submit a high-volume quote.

Algae Ink™ is a unique innovation - black, water-based ink whose pigment is derived from algae cells rather than petroleum sources. Outside of algae ink, most of the world’s most sustainable inks today still have pigments from burning fossil fuels. Algae ink is carbon negative, meaning it sequesters more carbon than is released in production and manufacturing. That means - the more algae ink you use, the less carbon your company emits!

We have made algae ink available for corrugated boxes and paper-based solutions since 2018. In early 2022, we launched this technology for poly. If you’re interested in using algae ink for your next poly print with black ink, contact us at hello@ecoenclose.com.

EcoEnclose has the only poly mailers on the market that are made with 100% recycled content, with over 50% post-consumer waste. We love this because it means we’re giving new life to and creating a strong market for previously used plastic bags and milk jugs that would otherwise be landfill-bound.

Additionally, our mailers are reusable and recyclable. Most households would recycle these at a standard grocery drop-off location. Check out our sustainability framework to learn more about EcoEnclose’s approach to eco-friendly packaging and the standards we have set for our product line.

Like most sustainability experts, we do not recommend compostable poly mailers for eCommerce if biodegradability is your goal. We recommend choosing a paper mailer instead. Learn about finding the best compostable mailer option here.

All poly mailers are mostly made with functional resin; the rest are additives that aid in manufacturing and colorants to ensure the mailer is opaque and provides its final color. Additionally, these mailers include self-sealing adhesive and release liners to protect that seal.

The functional resin in our mailers is made with 100% recycled content, at least 50% of which is post-consumer waste. The colorants, additives, release liners, and adhesives are not made with recycled content. This is true for our mailers and all other mailers available today. We see these as important opportunities for improvement.

EcoEnclose only sells to businesses; we don’t sell to households and end consumers. This way, all our packaging is sold wholesale and priced accordingly. Our pricing also includes volume discounts. Ordering just two units triggers a slight discount, and ordering 15+ units triggers 15% off.

Finally, if you need even larger quantities of 25,000 or more mailers, please get in touch with us! We can work with you on pricing, custom printing, and logistics with these enterprise-level volumes. Check out our enterprise services.