Products and materials

Yes, our paper mailers and mailer boxes are made using recycled uncoated board and can be recycled in any paper waste stream.
Yes, our Sugarflex™ films and laminates are suitable for both wet and oily applications.
Compostable materials are designed to be composted and unfortunately that means they cannot be mechanically recycled. Although commercial composting systems are not currently widely available on a kerbside bases this is changing rapidly and so too is the rate of home composting. For further reading please see our blog post on Composting vs Recycling.
Recycled content is of more variable quality than virgin material. The recycled material creates a speckled, grainy texture but does not effect print or packaging quality.
Generally speaking, compostable materials are not compatible with wet or oily products over a long period. In certain applications they can work for products with short shelf-life requirements (~4-6 weeks).
No they are not compostable. They are made from plants have a naturally carbon negative production footprint but are designed to be recycled. For further reading please see our blog post on Composting vs Recycling.
Different packaging materials and formats have unique considerations. The Customisation section shows the dimension allowances for each product and range of film thicknesses in microns (µ); these two specifications determine volume and weight limits.
Yes they can. Grounded's recycled films and paperboard materials are recyclable. Recycled plastics are able to be recycled in either dedicated PE streams (#4) or via in-store collection systems such as Red Cycle. All recycled paper products are kerbside recyclable.
No they don't. Our materials are certified compostable which means that they've passed thorough biodegradation testing to ensure they completely biodegrade into healthy organic matter.
Unlike most plastics, compostable materials are designed to have a shelf-life. They won't spontaneously start composting on the shelf or in your warehouse, but over time compostable polymers weaken and things such as sealing & lamination strength start to deteriorate. In general we give our compostable materials 18 months shelf-life before this starts occurring. However, this is influenced by atmospheric conditions such as heat and humidity; in hot and humid climates this shelf life is reduced. We recommend storing all compostable materials in dry climate controlled conditions as best practice to ensure a prolonged shelf-life.
Yes, our Plantmade™ vacuum pouches are suitable for sous vide cooking. Biovac™ recyclable pouches can be used at temperatures up to 80C or 175F. Comvac™ compostable pouches can be used at temperatures up to 70C or 160F.
Our stock compostable and PCR recycled mailers are 60µ or 2.36mil. Our stock paper mailers are 180GSM. We've seen a lot of mailers in our time and have found these to be the most optimal thicknesses, striking a perfect balance between price, durability and sustainability. If you're customising your packaging, you can choose how thick you want the material.
Our mailer bags can withstand heavy weight and are 100% waterproof. They are also tear-resistant and are designed to distributes the weight throughout the whole bag. We encourage you to order a sample pack and put them to the test.
If you require a waterproof mailer, you are best to choose either our compostable or recycled plastic mailers. Our paper mailers are water resistant and will withstand rain during transit but aren't designed to be left out in the wet.
All of Grounded's compostable films and laminates are certified compostable, including any valves and zippers. For further information please visit our Certifications page.
The time it takes a product to biodegrade depends on the conditions of the composting environment. Industrial or commercial compost facilities run at higher temperatures and certification protocol requires materials to biodegrade within six months. Home composts are more variable and depend on external factors such as temperature, humidity and how often they're turned. Home compost certification requires materials to biodegrade within 12 months at a temperature around 30°C. For more information check out our certifications page.

This is a great question and the answer is nuanced. They don't contain plastic as most people know it but they are made from bioplastic, which is technically a type of plastic. Grounded has a range of bioplastics that are made using our compostable Plantcell™ technology or our recyclable Sugarflex™ films and laminates.