Do you want your mailed packages to be “greener”? According to the Transparency Market, the global postal packaging market is projected to spike over 5% within the next decade. This provides an excellent opportunity for eco-friendly options like compostable packaging. Such materials can break down into various substances like biomass and water within about three months. Here are some of the benefits of such Earth-friendly mailers:

1. Consumer Demand

The basic law of supply and demand often apply in terms of the products offered to consumers. For example, a recent study showed that one-third of urban Australians prefer food and drink products sold in “green” packaging.

Such studies show that today, many consumers aren’t just looking for eco-friendly products but also the mailers they’re shipped in. Compostable products aren’t only recyclable and biodegradable but can also be added to your backyard compost with fruit and vegetable peels.

2. Closing the Loop

This term refers to the collection/recycling of consumer waste. Sometimes this goal can’t be achieved entirely. However, if you want to make the most Earth-friendly consumer choices, then you should find out how to do it.

In order to turn mailers into compost, used items must be transported to a commercial composting facility. You’ll likely be charged for this recycling service. However, you’ll be investing in the conservation of Earth’s natural resources.

You can also close the loop by combining food waste with your processed green mailers. This helps to reduce landfill waste. In 2019, Australia alone produced over 21 million tons of landfill waste. It’s estimated up to three-quarters of all waste could be recycled.

3. Better than Biodegradable

When picking green packaging, another popular option is biodegradable packaging. While these options produce a smaller carbon footprint than packaging with synthetic materials, there are some key differences.

The main difference is compostable materials are verified to produce no toxins as they break down. While biodegradable packaging has similar features, you don’t have that guarantee.

It’s still important to make sure you pick mailers that are “certified compostable”. This guarantees that the packaging will break down in particular conditions, including timeframes and temperatures.

For example, some companies guarantee that their packaging becomes soil-friendly compost within a certain number of weeks after being processed in a composting facility. If a company offers compostable products without these guarantees, then they are probably just biodegradable.

4. Lower Collection Costs

You can also save money when composting materials because the collection costs tend to be lower for compostable waste versus non-compostable waste. This is because of their lower processing costs than alternatives like landfills and incineration.

There are about 150 composting and organics recycling facilities throughout Australia. Sometimes this is available through kerbside waste collections for more convenience. You can simply add the items to your garden waste and green organics bin. In other cases, you can dispose-off them through a local organics recycling service.

5. Packaging Options

When picking compost-friendly packaging, you can select from different items that range in:

• Colour
• Size
• Type
• Packs

This offers a wide range of options so you can pick the right packaging for your needs.

When picking packaging, one of the greenest options is compostable packaging. With this option, not only can you reuse and recycle the materials, but they also won’t produce any toxic chemicals. This makes the packaging soil-friendly, which is also literally Earth-friendly.