Custom Mailers

Compostable Mailers

Compostable Mailers built to your specification — your dimensions, your board, your print.

Minimum order
100 units
Production
3–5 business days
Construction
mailer box
Delivery
US, UK, Canada, Australia

No obligation

Quote it on your stock

Name, email, phone and what you are packing and how it ships. Attach artwork if you have it. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.

The more detail you give, the more accurate the quote.

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    The environmental claim you can defend

    Recycled content, kerbside recyclability and certified compostability are three different claims requiring three different kinds of evidence. Brands get into trouble by treating them as one.

    Tell us which claim you intend to print on the pack and we will specify a material that supports it, or say plainly that it does not exist at your price point.

    What compostable mailers have to cope with

    Compostable Mailers hold soft goods for brands making an end-of-life claim they intend to print on the pack. That is the starting point for the specification, because order compostable stock in smaller, more frequent batches than you would poly. Shelf life is a real constraint here.

    In service they are used for brands where the environmental claim is a genuine part of the proposition rather than a badge.

    Where compostable mailers are actually used

    Compostable Mailers are specified for brands where the environmental claim is a genuine part of the proposition rather than a badge. Order compostable stock in smaller, more frequent batches than you would poly. Shelf life is a real constraint here.

    • Brands where the environmental claim is a genuine part of the proposition rather than a badge
    • Direct-to-consumer shipping
    • Subscription boxes
    • Influencer and PR sends

    The substrate for compostable mailers

    Certified compostable film — but almost always industrially compostable, not home compostable. That distinction has to be stated on the pack.

    The options we would consider for this format are below; order compostable stock in smaller, more frequent batches than you would poly. Shelf life is a real constraint here.

    • E-flute corrugated
    • F-flute corrugated
    • White-top E-flute
    • Kraft E-flute

    How compostable mailers fail, and what prevents it

    The film degrades in storage. Compostable material begins breaking down given warmth and humidity, so old stock can fail before it is used.

    Order compostable stock in smaller, more frequent batches than you would poly. Shelf life is a real constraint here.

    Comparing the substrate options

    The honest trade-offs between the stocks we would consider for this format.

    MaterialCost vs conventionalRecovery route
    Recycled CCNB0–5% higherKerbside, widely accepted
    Virgin SBSBaselineKerbside, best print surface
    Kraft boardBaselineKerbside, natural finish
    Certified compostable20–40% higherIndustrial facilities only

    Printing compostable mailers

    Compostable films take print acceptably but with a wider colour tolerance than poly. Approve a printed sample if colour matters.

    Digital press, Flexography, Litho-lamination are all available for this format. Run length usually decides which is cheapest: digital removes the plate cost on short quantities, offset and flexo overtake it at volume.

    Sizing compostable mailers

    The standard poly ladder, though compostable films are slightly less strong at the same gauge.

    Send the contents rather than a box size. Buyers order a year of compostable mailers for the unit price and find the last few months of stock brittle.

    What moves the price

    Four things drive a quote more than anything else: the quantity, the print route, the board grade and the number of finishing passes. Dimensions matter too, but usually through how efficiently the shape nests on the press sheet.

    Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. If a cheaper route exists we say so at quoting rather than after the invoice.

    Getting them to you, and onward

    Mailers arrive flat and score-folded, ready to assemble by hand in a few seconds each.

    Delivery windows are confirmed in writing when your order moves into production, and we flag any risk to the date before you approve rather than after.

    From enquiry to delivery

    Send the product dimensions, the quantity and your deadline. What comes back is a board grade, a structure, a print method, a lead time and a written price — not a number on its own.

    We send a dieline sized to your product, check your artwork and issue a proof. For shipping formats we will also flag it if the pack looks a size larger than it needs to be.

    Testing the fit first

    A plain structural sample is the cheapest way to find a fit problem — far cheaper than finding it across a full run.

    Sample costs are normally credited against the production order.

    Reference

    Compostable Mailers at a specification level

    ProductCompostable Mailers
    CategoryCustom Mailers
    ConstructionRoll-end tuck-front, tape-free assembly
    Board gradeE-flute or F-flute corrugated
    Ships asFlat with pre-scored folds
    MaterialsE-flute corrugated, F-flute corrugated, White-top E-flute, Kraft E-flute
    PrintingDigital press, Flexography, Litho-lamination
    FinishesMatte lamination, Gloss lamination, Soft-touch lamination, Spot UV, Interior flood print
    Minimum orderMinimum order is 100 units on any format, and unit cost falls sharply as the quantity rises.
    Lead time3 to 5 business days after artwork approval
    ShippingAcross the US, UK, Canada and Australia

    Specification builder

    Specify Compostable Mailers in under a minute

    Set what you know, leave the rest. Everything here travels with your request, so nothing gets retyped.

    • 100-unit minimum
    • 3–5 day production
    • Free dieline
    • No obligation
    Approximation only — proportions, colour family and finish character. Not a colour proof, and the panel shown is a placeholder, not your artwork.
    Packaging type
    Box style
    Quantity
    Colour
    Material
    Printing
    Finish

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      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. Final pricing depends on size, material, printing, finishes, and quantity.

      What you get

      What you get with this format

      Cut to the load

      The standard poly ladder, though compostable films are slightly less strong at the same gauge.

      What goes wrong in transit

      The film degrades in storage. Compostable material begins breaking down given warmth and humidity, so old stock can fail before it is used.

      Where it is used

      Specified for brands where the environmental claim is a genuine part of the proposition rather than a badge.

      The detail that decides it

      Order compostable stock in smaller, more frequent batches than you would poly. Shelf life is a real constraint here.

      This format sits in our custom mailers range, alongside 31 other made-to-order formats.

      Answers

      Compostable Mailers: protection and transit

      Specification, minimums and lead times for compostable mailers.

      Do compostable mailers have a shelf life?

      Yes, and it catches buyers out. The film begins degrading given warmth and humidity, so a year of stock can be brittle by the end. Order in smaller, more frequent batches than you would poly.

      Will a heavier board reduce my damage rate?

      Only if boxes are arriving crushed. If they arrive intact with damaged contents, the product is moving inside and a heavier outer changes nothing. A fitted insert solves that case, usually at lower cost.

      Do you supply inserts with the outer?

      Yes, and for compostable mailers we prefer to specify both together. A cavity that holds the contents still often lets us drop a grade on the outer, so the pair can cost less than an over-specified box alone.

      Is recycled board weaker than virgin board?

      Slightly, at the same caliper — recycled fibres are shorter, so the board is a little less stiff and takes on moisture a little faster. Stepping up one caliper generally restores the performance while keeping the recycled claim intact.

      Can you certify the recycled content?

      We can state the recycled content of the board and supply the mill documentation behind it. We do not issue certifications ourselves, and we would rather give you the underlying evidence than a claim you cannot substantiate.

      How do I reduce dimensional weight?

      Measure the product rather than the box currently in use. Most operations we quote are running at least one size too large with void fill compensating, and dropping a band saves on every parcel compostable mailers carry.

      Should the outside be printed?

      That is a brand decision, not a cost or protection one. For direct-to-consumer parcels where the customer opens it, print can be worth it. For business deliveries it usually is not.

      What is the minimum order for compostable mailers?

      A flat 100 units on any format. Most mailer boxes in this range are quoted from 100 units upward because unit cost falls sharply above that, but the minimum exists so you can validate a structure first.

      How long do compostable mailers take to produce?

      3 to 5 business days after artwork approval, plus freight. Mailer box runs with applied finishes can take longer because each finish is a separate pass, and we confirm a firm date in writing with the quote.

      What do compostable mailers cost?

      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. For this format the biggest levers are quantity, print route, board grade and how many finishing passes are involved. We quote each element separately so you can see where the money is going. An insert often lowers the total rather than raising it, because holding the contents still lets us drop a grade on the outer.

      Can I see a sample first?

      Yes. We can send a plain unprinted sample so you can check the fit and structure, or a printed prototype for colour and finish. Sample costs are normally credited against the production order. On compostable mailers the thing to check is whether the contents still sit tight once the pack is closed, because movement inside is what causes damage rather than the board grade.

      Can you match packaging we already use?

      Send the current specification or a physical sample and we will quote to match it rather than proposing an alternative you would then have to re-approve internally. A physical sample tells us more than a specification sheet — board caliper and coating are usually described loosely and measured exactly.

      Next step

      Start on Compostable Mailers

      Send the dimensions, the quantity and how it ships. We reply with a full specification and a written price, usually within one business day.