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How To Recycle Your Mailer

How to Recycle Mailers

Step 1: Identify Your Mailer Type

Recycling rules vary by type of material. Identify if your mailer is poly, paper, or poly/paper combo to determine how to recycle it properly.

Step 2: Prep Your Mailer

Recycling a flat poly or bubble poly mailer? Remove all paper labels on the mailer with scissors.

 

Step 3: Locate the Proper Recycling Bin

Only paper mailers are widely accepted in your curbside recycling bin. Local retail stores and recycling centers provide collection bins for recycling HDPE (#2) and LDPE (#4) poly and poly bubble mailers. 

Identify Your Mailer Type

PAC Airjacket

Poly Bubble Mailers

 

How to Recycle: Remove all shipping labels by cutting them out with scissors and disposing of them in the trash. Make sure your mailer is dry and clean prior to recycling.

Where to Recycle: Take the bubble mailers to a recycling drop-off bin located at participating grocery and retail stores nationwide. Visit earth911.com to locate the store nearest to you.

Paper Cushion Mailers

 

How to Recycle: Make sure your mailer is dry and clean prior to recycling.

Where to Recycle: Municipal curbside recycling bins will accept all paper mailers. Check locally for your region’s specific regulations.

CoolPAC flat mailer

Insulated Mailers

 

How to Recycle: Remove all shipping labels by cutting them out with scissors and disposing of them in the trash. Make sure your mailer is dry and clean prior to recycling.

Where to Recycle: Per the How2Recycle label, take the insulated mailer to a recycling drop-off bin located at participating grocery and retail stores nationwide. Visit earth911.com to locate the store nearest to you.

CoolPAC box liner

Insulated Box Liners

 

How to Recycle: Make sure your box liner is dry and clean prior to recycling.

Where to Recycle: Per the How2Recycle label, take the insulated box liner to a recycling drop-off bin located at participating grocery and retail stores nationwide. Visit earth911.com to locate the store nearest to you.

Polyjacket

Flat Poly Mailers

 

How to Recycle: Remove all shipping labels by cutting them out with scissors and disposing of them in the trash. Make sure your mailer is dry and clean prior to recycling.

Where to Recycle: Take the bubble mailers to a recycling drop-off bin located at participating grocery and retail stores nationwide. Visit earth911.com to locate the store nearest to you.

Mailjacket

Rigid Paperboard Mailers

 

How to Recycle: Make sure your mailer is dry and clean prior to recycling.

Where to Recycle: Municipal curbside recycling bins will accept all paper mailers. Check locally for your region’s specific regulations.

PAC Kraft Airjacket

Kraft Paper Bubble Mailer

 

Paper Bubble Mailers are not recyclable because they are a mixed substrate made with both poly and paper materials. These mailers must be placed in the trash.

PAC’s Recycling Resources

How2Recycle®

PAC Worldwide is proud to be a member of the How2Recycle Label Program. How2Recycle is an on-package recycling label developed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of the nonprofit GreenBlue.

LEARN MORE

NexTrex™

When you take your plastic film to store drop-off recycling locations, not only are you helping to keep thousands of pounds of waste out of landfills, you’re also helping Trex and their NexTrex recycling program continue to make eco-friendly outdoor products.

LEARN MORE

Frequently Asked Questions
What can I put in my curbside recyclable bin?

All curbsides are NOT created equal. Each municipality has different recycling capabilities. Some only have the ability to recycle paper and aluminum, while others are able to recycle paper, cardboard, metals, glass, and certain types of plastic. Check with your local service regarding what is accepted.

Why is flexible poly packaging not allowed in my curbside recycling bin?

As mentioned before, curbside recycling programs differ between various regions and even zip codes.  This is because each municipality has different recycling capabilities. Most programs will not accept plastic bags, wraps, and films in the curbside bin because once they arrive at a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF), they easily get tangled up in the equipment, and often times loose paper and flexible plastics will be sorted together, causing contamination between the two materials. There is a much higher recycling success rate for these types of plastics through store drop-off programs where they can be properly sorted which is why it’s important to check what your local curbside program will accept.

What is not recyclable at a store drop-off?

The following items are not allowed to be recycled at store drop-off collection bins:

    • Biodegradable or compostable bags or packaging
    • Pre-washed salad mix bags
    • Frozen food bags
    • Candy wrappers
    • Chip bags
    • Most pet food bags
    • Six-pack can rings

For any questions and to make sure you aren’t contaminating the bin, please visit plasticfilmrecycling.org for further information on what is and is not accepted.

Is bubble wrap recyclable?

Yes. In many places, bubble wrap and plastic bubble mailers can be recycled by the same processors that handle other types of plastic films like grocery bags, produce bags, and plastic wrappers. However, mixed material mailers with paper laminated to bubble wrap cannot be recycled. Dispose of these mailers in the trash.

What happens to these poly mailers after they are recycled?

The majority of store drop-off recycling boxes are bought and picked up by Trex® through their NexTrex program. By taking your plastic film to store drop-offs, not only are you helping to keep thousands of pounds of packaging out of landfills, but you’re also helping Trex and their NexTrex recycling program continue to make eco-friendly outdoor products such as durable composite lumber for fences, benches, decks, door, and window frames, even playground equipment.

What is How2Recycle?

How2Recycle is an on-package recycling label developed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of the nonprofit GreenBlue.

Ask Our Sustainability Experts

Still unsure of how to properly recycle your packaging? Our sustainability experts are here to help!

John Bartell
VP of Sustainability
Courtney Boshaw

Sustainability Manager