How to Recycle Jiffy Bags

How you recycle a jiffy bag is determined by what its padding is made from.

"Jiffy bag" is the name typically given to any mailing envelope that has an outer paper covering over a cushioned liner. The original Jiffy Bag was a padded envelope with a kraft paper outer layer and a lining made of chopped newspaper fibers. Today, the moniker "jiffy bag" can mean the original Jiffy Bag or a padded envelope that is lined with bubble-wrap film or other plastic padding.

Things You'll Need

• Mailing labels
• Scissors or straight-edge razor

Instructions

Reuse, Then Recycle

1. The best way to recycle jiffy bags is to reuse them. Remove any address labels and use fresh labels to cover old addresses and postal markings. If you are unable to reuse the bags yourself, consider offering them to local used book shops, thrift stores or your neighborhood Freecycle network. Many people are always on the lookout for recycled mailing supplies.

2. If the bag is no longer usable, check to see what kind of padding it has, chopped paper fiber or bubble-wrap film.

3. Jiffy bags with chopped paper fiber can often be recycled with your regular paper recycling. Check with your local recycling agency to make sure the paper bags are on the approved collection list.

4. Jiffy bags lined with bubble-wrap film are more difficult to recycle. Remove the bubble wrap with scissors or a straight-edge razor. The kraft paper exterior can be recycled with your regular paper collection. At this time, bubble wrap is not recyclable, so that portion needs to be reused as packing filler or must be discarded in the trash.

References

• MultiChannel Merchant: Think Inside the Box
• Total Packaging Transpack: Jiffy Bags and Their Uses

Resources

• The Freecycle Network