Circularity Explained: Follow the Lifecycle of Our Custom Poly Mailers

custom-printed poly mailer by @franginfrangine

Here at noissue, we follow a sustainability framework known as ‘circularity’. It’s the key to driving environmental impact down and sustainability up, which is why every product we create takes its place somewhere in the circularity cycle. But what is circularity?

It’s a sharp diversion from the linear model of use most modern businesses boast, and happily, more and more business owners are choosing to incorporate circularity into their production and shipping.

To take your business to the most sustainable place it could be, understanding circularity is key. In this article, we’re going to explore this easy-to-understand concept through one of our most popular product suites: custom poly mailers.

What is Circularity?

First thing’s first: to understand what circularity is, it’s helpful to understand what it is not.

Most modern businesses (although the number is steadily dwindling) currently lean on a linear model of use. We call this the “Takes, Makes, and Wastes” cycle. Resources are taken from the earth, turned into a product or piece of packaging, used, and then promptly thrown away. The lifecycle is more of a straight line, firing resources that could be reused straight into an overflowing landfill. This model is the home of single-use products like disposable spoons, cling wrap, and standard poly mailers.

On the other hand, circularity bends this line into a circle. Products are either recycled, reused, or composted to extend their lifetime outside of landfill, or even disposed of in a way that keeps them out of the landfill entirely. These three frameworks – recyclability, reusability, and compostability – are the pillars on which the circular model rests.

Our Mailers in Sustainability Frameworks

All our products fall into one of the three categories beneath the circularity umbrella. So, to understand what each lifecycle looks like, let’s follow one of our products from birth to rebirth for each. Keep in mind, many products will fall into multiple sustainable categories. For example, something might be both compostable and reusable. In fact, that’s the ideal scenario!

Recycled

First up, we have our recycled custom poly mailers. These are a triple threat, as they are recycled, recyclable, and reusable. That makes them fully circular!

When it comes to recycled or recyclable products, the goal is to extend the lifespan of the raw materials and keep them out of landfill for as long as possible. Once the product is done being used, the raw materials are ‘chopped up’ and made ready for recreation.

· Creation: Made from 100% recycled plastics, both LDPE (low-density polyethylene) and HDPE (high-density polyethylene).

· Use: These soft mailers are ideal for sealing up clothing or other non-fragile items, using the adhesive seal at the top of the bag to keep everything safe.

· Reuse: Once your customers have used a bag, they can simply rip the top off the package and use the second adhesive strip to use the bag one more time.

· Disposal: After its extended lifespan comes to an end, this bag is curb-side recyclable, but only where soft plastics are accepted.

Compostable

Next up, we have our custom compostable poly mailers. These are both reusable and compostable, although they are made from fresh materials.

While compostable packaging is technically single-use (at least a lot of the time), the idea is for the resources to be reused not by us, but by the earth. In that sense, they are close to achieving circularity.

· Creation: Our compostable poly mailers are made from plant-based materials, meaning they can biodegrade into something plants can consume and use to grow.

· Use: Much like the recyclable version of our custom-printed poly mailers, these are ideal for shipping soft or unbreakable items.

· Reuse: These are also reusable, featuring a second adhesive strip that customers can use to send something of their own.

· Disposal: In a commercial composting facility, these bags would break down in 90 days. At home, this would break down in 180 days.

Reusable

Finally, as we mentioned earlier, many of our products occupy multiple categories. You will have seen that both the compostable and recyclable custom poly mailers are reusable. We’ve designed our products with intentionality to ensure their lifespans are as long as possible, and reusability is the key to that equation.

Reusable products – from poly mailers to canvas tote bags – mean fewer single-use products end up in landfill. For every reusable mailer than a customer uses, one additional mailer is saved from a fate in landfill. On a large scale, that’s a lot of materials saved.

That’s A Wrap!

Looking to customize your circular packaging? We offer Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) pricing or high-volume full-bleed printing through our noissue Plus system. Depending on your needs, you can snag any number of custom-printed poly mailers to enhance your branding while putting your sustainability values first.