ATLANTA (News release) -- Georgia-Pacific, LLC announced it has expanded its EarthKraft™ line of curbside recyclable mailers to include an unpadded mailer for e-commerce shipments. The new mailer, available in two sizes, is suited to ship apparel and other soft items that do not need padded packaging for transport. Amazon is a key GP EarthKraft customer and has been using the unpadded mailers since mid-July.

With the introduction of the unpadded mailer, the EarthKraft brand will now have two products in its portfolio. The unpadded mailers are similar to the recyclable padded mailers introduced by GP in 2020. Both padded and unpadded versions offer protection in a lightweight and flexible design, which can reduce freight costs. The mailers are also designed to be easy to pack, which can improve warehouse efficiency.

GP has sold more than one billion EarthKraft padded mailers to e-commerce companies looking for a cost-competitive alternative to plastic mailers. The company anticipates similar strong demand for the newly introduced unpadded mailer.

"An ever-growing percentage of consumers expect their online purchases to arrive in sustainable, easy-to-recycle packaging," said Adam Ganz, vice president - commercial development at Georgia-Pacific, who leads the mailer business. "The plastic mailers that have been the standard shipping option for apparel aren't meeting the majority of consumer expectations, and brands are missing an opportunity to build loyal, repeat customers. GP's EarthKraft unpadded mailer gives apparel brands and other e-commerce companies a cost-effective option to meet those expectations."

According to a recent McKinsey & Company survey, 43 percent of consumers say environmental impact is an extremely or very important packaging characteristic when making purchasing decisions. Both the EarthKraft padded and unpadded mailers have been issued a Widely Recyclable label by the How2Recycle® program. This allows the mailers to be deposited in any paper or corrugated recycling collection point, which for most consumers is their curbside recycling bin.

EarthKraft unpadded mailers are produced at GP's facilities in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, McDonough, Georgia, and suburban Phoenix, Arizona. Printing options for the mailers include up to six colors utilizing flexo or digital print. EarthKraft unpadded mailers are available in two sizes with external, flap-closed dimensions ranging from 12 by 15 inches to 14 by 18 inches.