A padded envelope, also known as a padded or cushioned mailer or ( UK) jiffy bag, is an

envelope An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin, flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card. Traditional envelopes are made from sheets of paper cut to one of three shapes: a rhombus, a sh ...

incorporating protective padding to protect items during shipping. The padding is usually thick paper,

bubble wrap __NOTOC__ Bubble wrap is a pliable transparent plastic material used for packing fragile items. Regularly spaced, protruding air-filled hemispheres (bubbles) provide cushioning for fragile items. In 1957, two inventors named Alfred Fielding a ...

, or foam.

Uses

Mailing envelopes and small packages may receive as many as 27 handlings during shipment with the maximum drop height of . The contents of the mailing envelopes often need protection from shock and vibration damage.

Cushioning Package cushioning is used to protect items during shipment. Vibration and impact shock during shipment and loading/unloading are controlled by cushioning to reduce the chance of product damage. Cushioning is usually inside a shipping container ...

or padding can be built into the mailing envelope to help protect the contents.

Construction

Several constructions are available.

Exterior

The exterior envelope can be made of a heavy

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...

, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard or

plastic film Plastic film is a thin continuous polymeric material. Thicker plastic material is often called a "sheet". These thin plastic membranes are used to separate areas or volumes, to hold items, to act as barriers, or as printable surfaces. Plas ...

Padding

The padding material can be recycled newsprint, foam,

, or other

cushioning Package cushioning is used to protect items during shipment. Vibration and impact shock during shipment and loading/unloading are controlled by cushioning to reduce the chance of product damage. Cushioning is usually inside a shipping container ...

materials.

Closure

Many mailers have an integral flap that has a

pressure-sensitive adhesive Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA, self-adhesive, self-stick adhesive) is a type of nonreactive adhesive which forms a bond when pressure is applied to bond the adhesive with a surface. No solvent, water, or heat is needed to activate the adhesiv ...

, a gummed (water-activated) adhesive, or tape to allow easy and secure closure.

Environmental impact

Life Cycle Analysis Life cycle assessment or LCA (also known as life cycle analysis) is a methodology for assessing environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the life cycle of a commercial product, process, or service. For instance, in the case ...

was conducted to compare a Kraft paper mailer with newsprint padding to a

LDPE Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a thermoplastic made from the monomer ethylene. It was the first grade of polyethylene, produced in 1933 by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) using a high pressure process via free radical polymerization. Its ...

plastic mailer with air bubble padding. Both had advantages and disadvantages; overall, the Kraft padded mailer had a higher overall environmental impact compared to the LDPE bubble mailer. The study recommended use of future products with lower mass and which use renewable resources.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, * Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology",

John Wiley & Sons John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, ...

, 2009, {{Bags Containers Envelopes Packaging