Send mail in transparent "envelope"?

aberamanboy

Random thought just occurred to me since I recently started using print at home service from Royal Mail.... I have been buying self seal plastic envelopes for sending small items and sticking a print at home label with barcode onto this. Zip lock bags from supermarkets are just 5p each and essentially the same thing but transparent colour and more convenient and no postage cost. Curious how royal mail would handle it if I stuck the printed label on zip lock bag, folded top over and taped shut? Any thoughts?

I don't really care if anybody can see the contents, they are neither very interesting nor very valuable.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

As long as the label doesn't come off and the packaging doesn't get caught in the machines I don't think it maters.

Amazon sends certain items without any packaging and just a label on the product box. 

leapyear

I too would like to know if this is possible. I know you don't care if anybody can see the contents but if you do, is it possible to tape some paper inside? Depending on the item, maybe use old newspaper?

NBLondon

aberamanboy said:

Curious how royal mail would handle it if I stuck the printed label on zip lock bag, folded top over and taped shut? Any thoughts?

Don't see why not. Can you post yourself one as a test?

aberamanboy

leapyear said:

I too would like to know if this is possible. I know you don't care if anybody can see the contents but if you do, is it possible to tape some paper inside? Depending on the item, maybe use old newspaper?

I am sending small fasteners. Realistically I will probably wrap in a tiny paper parcel and hold that together with a piece of tape. However, if I'm feeling lazy I may just throw them in there in plain view! 

aberamanboy

NBLondon said:

aberamanboy said:

Curious how royal mail would handle it if I stuck the printed label on zip lock bag, folded top over and taped shut? Any thoughts?

Don't see why not. Can you post yourself one as a test?

The thought had occurred to me. I'll probably do that. Maybe I'll amuse myself by putting something controversial in the bag/envelope. 

aberamanboy

I'll come back and report results soon. 

hermante

I wouldn't use a ziploc bag, I think they would tear easily especially with a hard item inside. Just cut out a panels of cardboard from a box, fold it in half and stick it together (if you get your labels printed at an RM office, you can even use the label to do the final sealing).

I have no idea why low volume sellers pay for packaging. Of course if you're selling 10+ items a day you probably don't get enough packaging in to reuse. I'm selling around 10 items a week now and buying the same amount, most sellers send their items to me in brand new packaging that I can simply put my sold items into, and stick new stamps on. Sometimes I don't even need to use my own tape as the previous seller's tape is still sticky.

Reusing is better than recycling.