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Last Updated: September 11, 2023
Poly mailers are essential to the e-commerce industry. Plastic, waterproof envelopes are a great alternative to the conventional cardboard box. Not to mention, these lightweight, flat mailers save sellers tons of money in shipping fees. We’ve answered a few of the most common questions about poly mailers below!
Poly mailers are made from polyethylene material. Polyethylene can be molded into an extensive variety of shapes and forms, including many different sizes of poly mailer.
Poly mailers are durable, white plastic bags that feature a self-sealing adhesive on the envelope’s flap. This adhesive not only saves people the cost of purchasing extra tape, but it also acts as a tamper-evident seal that shields your goods from pilferage. Poly mailers are completely waterproof and resist common contaminants like dirt and dust.
Yes, they are 100% recyclable. Just remember to cut off the label with your name and address on it before recycling. Poly mailers do not need to be broken down further—simply throw them in the recycling bin and go about your day!
Unfortunately, many individuals do not know that polyethylene is recyclable, so tons of plastics end up in landfills each year. Therefore, it is up to companies and individuals to change this narrative. Businesses can communicate the recyclability of their products, either through advertisements or on the packaging itself. Smaller brands can launch an initiative to educate their employees about smart recycling practices. Remember, this is our planet, so we’re all in this together.
Poly bubble mailers add even more security to shipments. These mailers feature an inner lining of bubble wrap to absorb shock during transit. Durable bubble mailers are lightweight, so companies do not have to pay expensive freight costs. This is a great way to secure semi-fragile merchandise and save money.
The size of the mailer that you need depends on what you are shipping. Start by measuring the volume (length x width x height) of the item that needs to be shipped. This is going to be the minimum size that you can shop for. Remember that mailers are measured flat. If you need to ship a large volume item, you might want to consider an expansion poly mailer, as these have gusseted bottoms that will expand and provide more room. If you are looking to ship with bubble mailers, add a half inch to your measurement because the bubble lining will take up some space.
Always choose a size that is slightly larger than your item’s measured dimensions. With poly mailers, you can always seal the lip of the envelope further down to create a tighter seal on the object. However, while poly mailers are flexible, you cannot stretch poly mailers to create extra space if you purchased a size too small.
If you need help visualizing what kinds of items go into certain sizes of poly mailer, we have a table below showing the best uses of each mailer size.
When listing different sizes of poly mailer, companies will often state the measurements for the exterior dimensions; this is a measurement of the outside of a flat mailer. However, this measurement does not reflect the usable dimensions within the mailer.
Sometimes referred to as usable size, the inside usable dimensions represent the available space within the mailer that can hold an item. The usable size will always be smaller than the exterior dimensions, so a 5” x 10” mailer has about 5” x 8.5” of usable space inside. Again, stay on the safe side and buy yourself a mailer that is slightly larger than the item you’re shipping. If you’re dealing with an irregularly shaped item and are struggling to find the right-sized mailer, consider getting expansion poly mailers.
Poly mailers are the perfect packaging for clothes. Clothes are considered “non-fragile” items, so they don’t need all the bubble wrap and packing peanuts that something like glassware would require. Simply find a poly mailer slightly larger than the clothing items you’re shipping and you’re good to go!
Need to ship large clothes or multiple clothes? Grab yourself some expansion poly mailers. The gusseted bottoms of these mailers make for a cost-efficient way to send large orders of clothing to customers, as well as books and irregularly-shaped goods.
To learn how best to ship clothes in a poly mailer, check out our step-by-step how-to video:
Place your goods inside the mailer and make sure all materials fit. Peel off the adhesive strip and fold over the sticky tab to seal. Poly mailers can be shipped with any of the main carriers: UPS, FedEx, or the USPS.
Don’t forget labeling! Place your label containing your name and address on the outside of the mailer and ensure the label lays flat and does not fold or crease when applied.
Unfortunately, there’s no straight answer to this question. The cost of shipping a poly mailer is dependent on the weight of the mailer, the volumetric size of it, and how far it needs to travel.
If you’re sending a mailer that weighs less than 16 ounces, or 1 pound, the mailer will be sent through USPS First Class, which costs somewhere in the range of $3 to $5. Talk about low prices!
However, a mailer that weighs over 16 ounces will be sent through Priority Mail, which comes with increased prices. At the same time, the Parcel Select Ground service is becoming increasingly popular; despite taking longer to carry out deliveries, Parcel Select Ground can offer lower shipping expenses for those with the patience.
No matter what, though, a poly mailer will almost always be cheaper to ship than a cardboard box. Not only is a mailer lighter, but it also takes up much less than a box, which goes on to lower your dimensional weight costs. To learn more about why poly mailers may be a better packing option than boxes, take a look at our article highlighting the benefits of poly mailers.
As you can see, poly mailers are an incredibly useful kind of packaging. Not only are these mailers lightweight and lie flat, but they are also extraordinarily durable and waterproof. Additionally, poly mailers come in a wide selection of sizes and varieties. If you still need to be convinced about the wonders of poly mailers, check out this ShipStation article delving further into the benefits and uses of these plastic envelopes.
PackagingSuppliesByMail offers a large assortment of poly mailers, including bubble, expansion, and colored mailers. And to sweeten the deal, we offer free shipping on all bulk orders of mailing envelopes. So stop paying excessive shipping fees and switch to poly mailers, the low-cost, high-strength packaging solution.
