2026 has been a tumultuous time in the corrugated board industry, with multiple price increases from sheet plants impacting the cost of all boxes and corrugated mailers. These price increases often lead operations managers to reassess their packaging options and ask the all important question: “Do we really need a box?”
Often times the answer is no, or not at this time. The product will always determine the best packaging solution, but many products that are not heavy/bulky or fragile are great candidates for any of our wide variety of envelope options. Rigid (paperboard) and padded paper mailers are ideal for when the product may require a bit of added protection, but for this post we are going to focus specifically on the benefits of unpadded paper envelopes.
Lead Times as Low as One Week!
As is true of many things in life, timing is everything. We cannot always guarantee or promise a one week lead time, but just recently we did turn around a reorder on custom printed mailer envelopes in less than a week. That is from the time ordered to the time shipped out of the plant. A first-time order would require the additional time of assessing artwork, quoting and proofing, but these delays are never long on our end. The pivot from boxes to envelopes does not have to be a long, drawn out process. Starting now is a great way to avoid what will surely be a busy Q4 as holiday packaging orders leads to longer lead times.
A Low-Cost Packaging Option
Paper mailer envelopes remain a low-cost alternative to boxes for many reasons. The per unit cost is just one aspect of the pricing. Consider also that envelopes are flat and lightweight, meaning they cost less to ship (from us to you) and from you to your end users. They also take up less storage space, leading to fulfilment savings. Your packers at the fulfillment operation will also enjoy the ease of no-assembly required packaging (and your labor costs should reflect it). As a first-time buyer, your startup costs will almost always be lower as well. Print plates on boxes tend to fall in the $800-1200 per color range, while on unpadded envelopes, plate pricing is $250 per color or less! There are also rarely any tooling costs on envelopes, even when a custom size is needed. An added benefit is that we can custom print paper envelopes by the case (200-500 mailers). Low minimums mean you don’t have to overbuy or try to plan ahead for months of future use based on projections. It also allows for seasonal, promotional or special occasion prints as well.
Our Most Sustainable Packaging Product
We proudly promote unpadded paper mailers as our most sustainable packaging option. They are available at 100% recycled content with up to 75% PCW (post consumer waste) content, and are always fully recyclable, biodegradable and compostable. We use eco-friendly water based inks, even on digital prints. They can also be customized with two tape strips to be resealable and reusable. The paper material is a very strong, sturdy construction grade product that rarely requires additional protection or void fill, thus eliminating the need for excess materials that may not be recyclable. It also ensures safe arrival to your customers and avoiding expensive and wasteful returns and reshipments.
Take it from a box company, sometimes your perfect packaging solution isn’t a box at all. Sample envelopes are ready and available in a variety of sizes and prints. Ask us how to get you fast-tracked on a first time order for custom printed mailer envelopes today!
Please Contact Us Today
Please reach out to us for a no cost, no obligation packaging consultation. As always, if you have any questions, one of our branded packaging advisors is standing by to assist, with decades of experience behind them. Please call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us via email at www.SalazarPackaging.com.
Related Posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/three-great-reasons-to-use-unpadded-mailer-envelopes/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/custom-paper-envelopes-with-digital-printing/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/boxes-or-envelopes-dtc-packaging-options-for-e-commerce/