Georgia-Pacific Expands Manufacturing of Curbside Recyclable Paper Padded Mailers for E-Commerce

Georgia-Pacific is expanding its manufacturing footprint for curbside recyclable paper padded mailers to support growing demand for more sustainable shipping envelopes. The new locations in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, and McDonough, Georgia, will expand availability of the mailers in the Northeast and Southeast to customers including Amazon. Georgia-Pacific is also adding a third production line at its first mailer manufacturing site that opened in the Phoenix area in 2020.

Staffing is underway and approximately 50 employees will be hired in both Jonestown and McDonough. New hires are already being trained so that the new facilities can be operational by end of year. All three facilities will manufacture multiple sizes of the easy-to-recycle mailer, significantly expanding the availability of curbside recyclable mailers.

Georgia-Pacific’s expertise in paper making and paper-based packaging, and support from its research and development team, have contributed to the company’s success in its first manufacturing location and served as drivers in the expansion plans. 

“The response to the functionality and recyclability has been very favorable from key customers like Amazon and from consumers,” says Adam Ganz, vice president – commercial development at Georgia-Pacific, who leads the mailer business. “We are eager to expand the availability of this more sustainable alternative to non-recyclable dual material mailers. This investment demonstrates our commitment to increasing sustainable solutions for the rapidly-growing e-commerce segment.”

Amazon introduced the paper padded mailer in 2019 using EPIX® technology from Henkel Adhesives Technologies to meet demand for a cost-competitive and protective mailer made from a renewable resource that can easily be recycled by consumers with other paper-based curbside recyclables. The mailers are made using kraft paper manufactured at Georgia-Pacific’s Palatka, Florida, paper mill and their recyclability has been tested at a recycled fiber mill to verify they can be processed with paper-based packaging typically used as fiber supply in mills.

About Georgia-Pacific Packaging

Based in Atlanta, Georgia‐Pacific is a leading integrated packaging supplier providing a full range of packaging solutions across the U.S., including containerboard, corrugated boxes and sheets, recyclable mailers for e-commerce, high-graphic packaging through our Color-Box® business and digital print for packaging through our Hummingbird® business. The company’s recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal and plastics, contributing to a paper recovery rate of just over 65 percent and a corrugated recovery rate of about 90 percent in the U.S. For more information, visit: gppackaging.com.