Apadded envelope, also known as apadded orcushioned mailer, orjiffy bag in the United Kingdom, is anenvelope incorporating protective padding to protect items during shipping. The padding is usually thick paper,bubble wrap, or foam.
Mailing envelopes and small packages may receive as many as 27 handlings during shipment with the maximum drop height of 1.2 metres (3.9 ft).[1] The contents of the mailing envelopes often need protection from shock and vibration damage.Cushioning or padding can be built into the mailing envelope to help protect the contents.
Several constructions are available.[2][3][4][5]
The exterior envelope can be made of a heavypaper,paperboard,corrugated fiberboard orplastic film.
The padding material can be recyclednewsprint, foam,bubble wrap, or othercushioning materials.
Many mailers have an integral flap that has apressure-sensitive adhesive, a gummed (water-activated) adhesive, ortape to allow easy and secure closure.
ALife Cycle Analysis was conducted to compare a Kraft paper mailer with newsprint padding to aLDPE 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.[6]
