100% Recycled Poly Mailers

This is one of the most common questions we receive as far as poly mailers are concerned. The best way to determine what size poly mailer (AKA poly shipping bags, poly mailer bags, plastic mailers or mailing bags) you’ll need is to layout the items you will be shipping on a table and measure the imaginary bounding box it would fit in. The two dimensions of your poly mailer would need to exceed the largest two dimensions of your bounding box plus a little extra room to compensate for the mailers expansion when it’s filled.

Once you have what you think is the perfect sized mailer, the next step is to order a complimentary sample of our poly mailers it test them. One of the worst feelings in the world is ordering everything you need to start shipping your product and finding out that what you thought was perfect is actually too small to ship your items. We want to avoid any issues with our poly mailer bags, so we definitely encourage people to use our samples!

As a frame of reference, we’ve put together a table of common items that are shipped in our mailers and listed the best size and mailer to ship them.



You can also find that table, and much more detail on poly mailer sizing in our Ultimate Guide to Poly Mailers.

Or check out our short video sizing guide for poly mailers for some quick tips.

We offer custom branding so your sustainable packaging can also represent your eco values and brand. With just a few quick clicks, you can get started on your custom mailers!

For e-commerce brands, the shipped package represents the most direct touch point with a customer. Branded packaging creates a strong first impression, encourages customer loyalty, and repeat sales. Not to mention, a whopping 83 percent of consumers would share an image of a delivery via social media if it arrived in unique, branded packaging. Branding your poly mailer can be an effective way to not only build customer loyalty but it can also help you drive new sales. Unlike many companies that require you to order 5,000 or more bags to get a basic print, we offer custom branded mailers for orders as low in quantity as just one case! Just find your desired size in the grid above and click on the “Customize Now”.

Some important things to keep in mind when thinking about printed poly mailers with your brand:

• Prints are limited to one color.
• Artwork must remain within the artwork boundary. Edge to edge printing is not possible.
• Artwork must be in vector format. No .jpg, .png, or .tif files! For a clear explanation of what a vector is, look here!
• Please read our full list of mailer art specs and requirements prior to placing your order.

Even with these limitations, our customers produce stunning branded bags - find post-production printing inspiration here.

If you're not sure where to start, we can help! Learn more about EcoEnclose's custom packaging services here or Contact us today to get started.

These printing limitations go away if you are interested in large runs of at least 25,000 pieces. For more information on these options, submit a high volume custom quote here.

Great question! Algae Ink is a very 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 that are made by burning fossil fuels. Algae Ink is actually carbon negative, meaning that it sequesters more carbon than is released in its production and manufacturing. That means - the more algae ink you use, the less carbon your company emits!

We have made Algae Ink available for custom shipping boxes and other paper-based packaging since 2018. In early 2022, this technology is now available for poly mailers as well! If you're interested in using algae for your next poly mailer print with black ink, please contact us at hello@ecoenclose.com.

Poly mailers are perfect for apparel and other fabric-based goods, as well as yarns and patterns. Poly mailer bags also work well for shoes and certain types of hats. We’ve seen them work well for boxed products that need to be shipped in another, outside layer (i.e. a shoebox, a small toy or a jewelry box). Ask yourself two questions. Is your product fragile? If no, then ask yourself, can the product fill out your poly mailer? If yes - then a poly mailer can work well for you. If your item is fragile, you might consider a shipping box instead.

If your products can’t fill a poly mailer out (think small jewelry item or a watch), then you might consider a box or a stiffer mailer such as our 100% Recycled Padded Mailer or 100% Recycled Rigid Mailer.

For more information on shipping different products, check out our Definitive Guide To Ecommerce Packaging.

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 also reusable and recyclable (for most households, these would be recycled at a standard grocery bag drop off location). To learn more about EcoEnclose's approach to eco friendly packaging, and the standards we have set for our product line, check out our Guide to Sustainable Packaging.

Poly mailers with only one adhesive strip and that don't feature a tear strip typically need to be destroyed in order to be opened.

Our poly mailers feature two seal strips and an easy to use tear strip, allowing your customers to neatly open their recycled mailers when they receive their order from you, and then use their mailer again (with the second seal strip!) for any returns, for another shipment, or to send poly film back to EcoEnclose for recycling. Learn more about how these mailers can be reused.

Note that both of our 50% Recycled Bubble Mailers and our 100% Recycled Poly Mailers actually have two adhesive strips. Not only is the reusable mailer more sustainable, it can also help you build a seamless return experience for your customer. While we all hate returns, we also know that customers are far more likely to shop with your brand again if you've made their returns process as convenient as possible.

If you're interested in a more durable, reusable mailer, we have you covered! Check out our ReEnclose Mailer, designed to be used 50 or more times, a great solution for apparel subscription companies and other brands who have baked a return shipment into their business model.

Our poly mailers are made with recycled content and are recyclable, but must be recycled in thin film bins in most municipalities.

They are a #4 plastic which means they can’t be recycled in single stream recycling plants because the flimsy material gets caught up in their sorting equipment. You would recycle these the same way you would recycle grocery bags, typically by taking them to a grocery store that participates in the collecting and recycling of these plastics. You can use the zip code locator here: http://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/ to find a participating store. Some curbside recycling programs can accept plastic bags so check with your waste management provider for more information.

We are also really excited about our Poly Film Take Back program! Your customers can simply stuff their EcoEnclose poly mailers full of plastic film and send this material back to EcoEnclose - we'll recycle it for them!

Like most sustainable packaging experts, we do not recommend compostable poly mailers for eCommerce if biodegradability is your goal. We recommend choosing a paper mailer instead. Learn more here.

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

All poly mailers are made with functional resin (this makes up the vast majority of the material), a small percentage of additives that aid in the manufacturing process, and colorants to ensure the mailer is opaque and provide its final color. Additionally, poly mailers include self-sealing adhesive and release liners to protect that seal. The functional resin in EcoEnclose Poly Mailers are made with 100% recycled content, of which at least 50% is post-consumer waste. The colorants, additives, release liners and adhesives are not made with recycled content. This is true for our poly mailers as well as all other poly mailers available today. We see these as important opportunities for improvement.

These are just common questions we receive when it comes to our Poly Mailers. If you still want more information, you could take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Poly Mailers or check out our video - a comprehensive review of poly mailers - when and how to use them!