Compostable mailer boxes · India
Compostable mailer boxes with a mycelium insert, not bubble wrap
Dharaksha makes biodegradable mailer boxes for e-commerce and D2C brands across India. The outer box is kraft corrugated board, made to your size and printed with your logo. Inside, instead of bubble wrap or thermocol, your product sits in a mycelium insert grown to its exact shape from crop waste. Every part of the parcel can go back to soil or into paper recycling.
- Plastic-free: no bubble wrap, air pillows or foam peanuts
- Custom inside size, plain kraft or printed
- Mycelium insert breaks down in about 60 days in soil
- Free sample before you order
What you get
One supplier for the box and what goes inside it
Most mailer box suppliers stop at the box, so brands pad it out with bubble wrap, crumpled plastic or thermocol. We make both layers in one place, so the box and the insert are sized to each other and tested together.
Kraft corrugated mailer
The classic roll end tuck front mailer: it folds without glue, closes with locking tabs and opens like a gift. E-flute for light products, B-flute for heavier ones. Plain kraft, or printed outside and inside the lid.
Mycelium insert or tray
A moulded insert grown to the shape of your bottle, jar, device or gift set. It holds the product still, cushions drops and replaces bubble wrap and thermocol completely.
Mycelium cases
For small premium items we also grow two-part mycelium cases, a base and a cover, that can travel inside a mailer or go straight into a gift bag.
How the insert is made
Grown from crop waste we buy from farmers
Mycelium is the root network of mushrooms: fine white threads that grow through soil and bind it together. We put that habit to work. After the rice harvest in North India, we buy parali (paddy straw) and other crop waste from farmers. That straw is our raw material.
- Chop and pasteurise. The straw is cut small and pasteurised so the mycelium gets a clean start.
- Mix and fill. Mycelium is mixed into the straw and packed into a mould the shape of your insert.
- Grow. Over about four days the threads spread through the straw and knit it into one solid piece. No glue and no plastic binder.
- Dry and heat-treat. The part comes out of the mould and is dried and heat-treated, which stops growth for good.
The result is light, firm and slightly velvety to touch. See the full process on how mycelium packaging is made.
Comparison
Bubble wrap vs thermocol vs a mycelium insert
All three go inside a mailer box to stop the product moving. Here is how they compare once the parcel leaves your warehouse.
| Mailer + bubble wrap | Mailer + thermocol | Mailer + mycelium insert | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Plastic film with air pockets | Expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads | Crop waste bound by mushroom mycelium |
| Fit around the product | Wrapped by hand, varies by packer | Cut or moulded blocks | Grown to the exact shape of the product |
| Protection | Fine for light items, depends on how much is used | Good, but brittle and sheds crumbs | About 3× the shock absorption of EPS at the same density; drop-tested |
| Heat insulation | Very little | k-value 0.0365 W/m·K | k-value 0.032 W/m·K, lower than thermocol |
| After unboxing | Plastic waste; hard to recycle from homes | Breaks into small pieces, does not break down | Home compostable in about 60 days in soil |
| Counts as plastic packaging for EPR | Yes | Yes | No |
| Unboxing | A pile of plastic | Static bits that stick to everything | Clean, natural texture that people photograph |
The insulation number matters more than it looks. Candles, chocolates, lipsticks and serums all suffer in an Indian summer delivery van, and a mycelium insert slows heat getting to the product better than thermocol does.
Who uses them
E-commerce and D2C use cases in India
- Cosmetics and skincare. Serum bottles, droppers, jars and gift kits held upright, with a natural look that fits a clean-beauty brand. More on sustainable cosmetic packaging.
- Perfume and attar. Glass bottles cradled so they cannot knock against each other. See perfume packaging.
- Candles. Glass and tin candles stay put, and the insert slows heat in transit so wax does not soften.
- Ceramics, glassware and home decor. Mugs, cups, planters and vases in a cavity each, with no loose fill to sweep up.
- Electronics accessories. Earbuds, chargers, smartwatches and small devices in a snug tray instead of foam.
- Food gifting and jars. Ghee, honey, pickle and jam jars, festive hampers and corporate gift boxes. See glass jar packaging.
Rules and buyers
Plastic rules in India, and the EU for exporters
Single-use plastic ban. Since 1 July 2022, India has banned a list of single-use plastic items, including thermocol for decoration and plastic wrapping film around sweet boxes. Packaging rules have only tightened since.
EPR for plastic packaging. The Extended Producer Responsibility guidelines notified in February 2022 under the Plastic Waste Management Rules make producers, importers and brand owners, including online marketplaces, responsible for the plastic packaging they put on the market. Bubble wrap, air pillows and poly mailers are all plastic packaging. A paper mailer with a mycelium insert takes them out of the box.
EU PPWR for exporters. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 has applied since 12 August 2026. It pushes for recyclable, minimal packaging, and from 2030 caps empty space in e-commerce and transport packaging at 50%. An insert moulded to the product lets you choose a smaller mailer. We share supporting documentation on request. More on export packaging.
Sources: CPCB centralised EPR portal for plastic packaging; Regulation (EU) 2025/40.
Custom sizes and printing
How to order compostable mailer boxes
- Send your product. Share the size and weight of what you ship, or send a unit to us.
- Pick the box. Inside dimensions, E-flute or B-flute board, plain kraft or printed, and whether you want a message inside the lid. You can draw it first with our free mailer box template.
- We design the insert. We mould a mycelium insert or tray to your product and size the mailer around it.
- Free sample and drop test. You get a sample to test with your own product. Every design is drop-tested before production.
- Production and delivery. Made at our plant in Faridabad and shipped to your warehouse anywhere in India.
Minimum order depends on size, print and insert shape, so tell us your monthly volume and we will quote a practical minimum. Already have a box you like? Keep it and just swap the bubble wrap for an insert. For heavier items see protective packaging, and for the bigger picture our thermocol alternative page.
FAQ
Compostable mailer boxes: questions, answered
Are these mailer boxes fully compostable?
The outer mailer is kraft corrugated board, which is paper. It goes into paper recycling, or it can be torn up and composted. The mycelium insert is home compostable and breaks down in about 60 days in normal soil. Ask for paper tape instead of plastic tape and the whole parcel stays plastic-free.
Is the whole mailer box made of mycelium?
For most e-commerce parcels, no. The mailer is kraft corrugated board and the part that touches your product is mycelium. That keeps the parcel light and easy to print. For small premium items, such as a perfume bottle, we also grow two-part mycelium cases with a base and a cover.
Can you make custom sizes and print our logo?
Yes. Every mailer is made to your inside dimensions, in plain kraft or printed with your logo, and the insert is moulded to your product. You can draw the box first with our free mailer box template and send us the spec.
What is the minimum order quantity?
It depends on the box size, the print and the insert shape. Tell us your monthly quantity and we will quote a practical minimum. We send a free sample first so you can test the pack with your own product.
Will a mycelium insert protect glass and ceramics?
Yes. The insert is grown to the shape of your product, so nothing rattles inside the box. Mycelium gives about 3 times the shock absorption of thermocol at the same density, and every design is drop-tested before production.
Does switching help with EPR for plastic packaging?
EPR in India applies to plastic packaging that brand owners, importers and online marketplaces put on the market. A paper mailer with a mycelium insert has no bubble wrap, air pillows or thermocol to count. Your EPR consultant can confirm what this means for your own filings.
Do you supply across India and for export?
Yes. We make the mailers and inserts at our plant in Faridabad and ship them to brands across India. For EU-bound orders, a snug insert lets you use a smaller box, which helps with the empty-space limits coming under the EU packaging regulation (PPWR).
Will the insert go mouldy or keep growing?
No. After the mycelium has grown into shape, the part is dried and heat-treated, which stops growth for good. The finished insert is inert. Store it dry, as you would any paper packaging.
Ship your next order without plastic
Tell us what you ship and how many a month. We will suggest a mailer size and insert shape and send a free sample. Talk to our sales team on WhatsApp or call +91 92173 09172.