Not all "eco" claims are equal
You've probably noticed that a lot of packaging brands now say "eco-friendly" or "sustainable" on their products. Some of them mean it. Some of them don't. So when we say our poly mailers are made from recycled material, here's exactly what that means — and what it doesn't.
What is PCR?
PCR stands for Post-Consumer Recycled. It means the plastic in your mailer was once used by a consumer — in food packaging, shopping bags, or other plastic products — and then collected, cleaned, and turned back into raw material to make something new.
That's different from PIR (Post-Industrial Recycled), which is plastic waste collected during the manufacturing process itself — before it ever reaches a consumer. PIR is easier and cheaper to recycle, which is why some brands quietly use it while still calling their product "recycled." PCR is the harder, more impactful version, because it's actually pulling plastic out of the waste stream that would otherwise end up in a landfill or the environment.
How does plastic actually get recycled?
Here's the simplified version of what happens to a plastic bag after you throw it in the recycling bin:
Collection. Plastic waste is gathered from recycling centres or sorted from mixed waste streams.
Sorting. Different types of plastic are separated. LDPE (code 4) goes into one pile, PET (code 1) into another, and so on. This step is critical — mixing plastic types ruins the recycling process.
Cleaning. The sorted plastic is washed to remove dirt, labels, and contaminants.
Shredding. The clean plastic is cut into small flakes or pellets.
Melting and reforming. The pellets are melted down and reformed into new raw material — which can then be used to make new products. Like poly mailers.
Is recycled LDPE as good as virgin LDPE?
Mostly, yes. For packaging applications like mailers, recycled LDPE performs almost identically to virgin material. The thickness, flexibility, tear resistance, and waterproofing are all the same. You might notice a very slight difference in colour (recycled LDPE is sometimes a touch darker), but functionally it's the same product.
Some applications — like food contact packaging — have stricter regulations and can't always use recycled material. Courier mailers aren't one of those. There's no reason to use virgin LDPE for a shipping mailer when recycled works just as well.
What about the recycling code on the mailer?
You'll see a triangle with the number 4 inside it on LDPE products. That's the recycling identification code. It tells waste facilities what type of plastic it is so they can sort and process it correctly.
Code 4 (LDPE) is accepted at most recycling facilities across Poland and the EU. That means after your mailer has done its job, it can go back into the recycling bin and start the cycle again — potentially becoming another mailer, a bag, or some other plastic product.
So what's the actual environmental difference?
Making virgin plastic requires extracting and refining petroleum. Making recycled plastic requires collecting, sorting, and reprocessing existing plastic. The recycled version uses significantly less energy and produces fewer emissions. And every mailer made from recycled material is one less piece of virgin plastic pulled out of the ground.
It's not a perfect solution — plastic recycling still has challenges, and not every piece of plastic actually makes it to a recycling facility. But using recycled material is a real, measurable step in the right direction. Not just a label.