So, you’ve just received your online order in a noissue compostable shipping mailer! The next step is to close the cycle by disposing of it properly.
These tear resistant shipping bags are made out of 100% corn-based polymers. This means that they will easily compost on a home or industrial compost heap. This creates a circular economy where sustainable packaging materials can be disposed of responsibly by the recipient, without any harm being done to the environment.
So, how exactly does this process work? We’re here to break it down for you (pun intended!)
1. Remove any adhesives from your compostable mailer
For best results, you will first need to remove any plastics from your compostable mailer. This includes any packaging tape, shipping labels and stickers. (Note: you will not need to remove noissue’s compostable stickers!)
2. Compost it!
If you have a home compost in your garden, you can stick your compostable mailer straight on the heap and leave it to do its thing. It’s as easy as that!
3. No compost heap?
If you do not have a compost heap, it could be a good idea to start one. Sites like Eartheasy and Gardening Know How offer great guides on how to compost and how to set up a compost heap - and it’s a lot easier than you might think!
Other options include seeing whether there is a composting pick-up service or community compost heap in your area. If not, why not set up a petition to start one!?
What is the difference between biodegradable packaging and compostable packaging?
These phrases get used interchangeably, which makes things pretty confusing for those wanting to dispose of packaging responsibly! Here is a quick run-down:
While just about every packaging material is technically biodegradable, not everything is compostable. The term ‘biodegradable’ sets no limits on how long the process takes, or the environmental impact it has. Even a regular plastic poly mailer is biodegradable - but the process can take hundreds of years! Needless to say, this doesn’t constitute sustainable packaging.
Moreover, while everything will break down eventually, harmful residues can be released during the process. This is why plastic pollution is a two-fold issue. It already has an adverse impact on ecosystems as a form of litter. But as a petroleum-based material, chemicals will leach out of plastic as it biodegrades - which is bad news.
Compostable packaging differs in that it will break down into natural elements in a compost setting, usually at a much faster rate than ‘biodegradable’ products. To facilitate the composting process, certain steps need to be taken. i.e. Putting your compostable mailer on a home or industrial compost heap. Compostable packaging can only be certified if the process is completed within a reasonable timeframe. For example, to meet the standards for the leading industry certifiers (TUV Austria, BPI and Dincerto) packaging must break down within 90 days in an industrial composting facility, and in 180 days on a home compost - which our compostable mailers do!
Compostable packaging also counts as sustainable packaging because it releases no harmful residues as the materials break down. Our compostable mailers are made from organic composites, so they are ‘returned to the earth’ in the most eco friendly way possible!
With three sizes available and the same durability as plastic mailing bags, compostable mailers are one of the most environmentally friendly packaging solutions available. Add in a straightforward disposal process for customers, and it’s a stress-free way for your business to keep things green!