If you are a small business owner (or maybe just an average person looking to mail a few gifts this holiday), here is an eco-friendly packaging brand you may not have heard about. Noissue is a sustainable brand that produces eco-friendly packaging materials. Among the mix includes compostable mailers, as well as recyclable/reusable tape, tissue paper, and stickers.
While I don’t consider it much of a business, I do sell gently used clothes on eBay. For a while, I was reusing old poly mailers, and I still encourage this method before buying more. (Related Post: How to Make Online Shopping More Sustainable) However, I eventually went through all of them, and was tired of consuming so much plastic. Luckily, I heard of Noissue through a few sustainability bloggers.
Their compostable mailers (yes, they are guaranteed to compost in 6 months) are made from PBAT and PLA. Small abbreviations for long chemical names 🙂 I am familiar with PLA through my research in college, but seeing the material in real life makes it come alive for me.
How does this compostable mailer work?
Noissue’s compostable mailers are made from two biodegradable polymers (long chain of repeating molecules): PBAT, and PLA. Both are compostable, though PBAT is partially derived from petroleum. Meanwhile, PLA is sourced from carbohydrates such as corn and tapioca.
From the get-go, one major advantage to using PLA is that it does not rely on petroleum like most other plastics do. These bags are certified by international standards to biodegrade within 180 days in an at-home compost without leaving harmful residues.
Why isn’t PLA used to replace plastics everywhere?
It’s an important scientific question. First, while PLA is biodegradable, the material has very low melting point and it also is very brittle. These shortcomings eliminate its uses in food packaging. (Think about what would happen if you poured hot soup into a PLA container!)
Though partially made from petroleum, PBAT is a biodegradable material that strengthens PLA, making an effective blend. So the bottom line: while PLA is awesome, there are still limitations to adapting it on a commercial scale.
Noissue Compostable Mailer Product Review
I ordered their medium-sized mailer (11.8″ x 16.5″) in a 50-pack quantity to start. The company is founded upon a low-minimums business model, and since this packaging is eco-friendly, I found the price reasonable. They arrived in this cute paper mailer, which remains true to their low-waste concept.
The texture feels very matte, which surprised me. From the images, I thought the material would be crinkly but the surface feels very soft and dull. Nonetheless, it is a decent size that fits most of the clothes I mail, and does not tear easily.
Note: I would be cautious though if you are mailing anything sharp or pointy, as it may puncture the material.
There is also a QR code in the back that links you to a Youtube video on ‘How to Dispose of your Compostable Mailer.’ (To be honest, I am not a compost expert by any means, so I find this bit helpful)
Tips to Make the Most Use of Your Compostable Mailer
Use the top strip of adhesive first. That way, the next person who receives the mailer can cut it off and still reuse the second adhesive strip underneath it. What is better than a compostable mailer? One that you can use a second time!
Be thoughtful of where you tape the label. I like to cut my labels small enough to fit in the back of the mailer, without covering the QR code. That way, you get to keep the cute ‘Hey! I’m a 100% Compostable Mailer’ sign in the front. And you also don’t interfere with the fold-over section where the reusable adhesive strip is.
Since this mailer has a matte surface, you won’t be able to peel off the label once it is taped. So being careful of where you place it makes sure the next person receives it in the best condition to use again.
Why Noissue’s Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials are Good for Small Businesses
The company’s values are built upon three main pillars:
- Low order minimums
- Sustainability
- Fully customizable
If you are a small business seeking for eco-friendly packaging materials solutions, Noissue is a great place to start! Its mailers and goodies are accessible, and customizable to fit your brand. (Psst, their products are also super cute!) They also offer a few other solutions such as kraft and recycled mailers.
Citations
Hope you learned something new from this post! If you came specifically to learn more about PLA, here are some ACS (American Chemical Society) papers I based my research on:
Perspective on Polylactic Acid (PLA) based Sustainable Materials for Durable Applications: Focus on Toughness and Heat Resistance. Vidhya Nagarajan, Amar K. Mohanty, and Manjusri Misra. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 20164 (6), 2899-2916DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b00321
Study of Biodegradable Polylactide/Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Blends. Long Jiang, Michael P. Wolcott, and Jinwen Zhang. Biomacromolecules 20067 (1), 199-207DOI: 10.1021/bm050581q
