Shipping envelope and method

A method of sending one or more items via a postal service via a letterbox, comprising the step of using a plastic shipping envelope, the plastic shipping envelope, comprising:

• a first plastic sheet and a second plastic sheet, bonded to each other at a bottom edge of the shipping envelope and at side edges of the shipping envelope, wherein a chamber is present between inner sides of said first and second plastic sheets, and wherein an access opening is provided at a top side of the shipping envelope to allow one or more items to be inserted in and retrieved from said chamber;
• a re-sealable airtight seal with interlocking sealing strips, one of the interlocking sealing strips being arranged on the inside of the first sheet and the other of the interlocking sealing strips being arranged on the inside of the second sheet, both sealing strips being arranged near the access opening, in a direction transverse to the side edges;
• and
• a one-way air valve, fluidly connecting the chamber of the shipping envelope to the outside, such that air can be vacated, when said chamber is closed by sealing said airtight seal, from the chamber to the outside,
• wherein the first sheet has a flap portion that, with respect to the second sheet, extends beyond the top edge of said second sheet,
• wherein the flap portion of said first sheet is provided with an upper strip of adhesive material and a lower strip of adhesive material, each of said strips of adhesive material being arranged in a direction transverse to the side edges, each of said strips of adhesive material being covered, at a side thereof facing away from the flap portion, by a respective user-removable backing, and
• wherein the flap portion is provided with a perforated tear line, arranged in between said strips of adhesive material,
• the method further comprising the steps of:
• inserting one or more items in the chamber of the shipping envelope;
• closing the airtight seal with the interlocking sealing strips;
• compressing the chamber of the shipping envelope, such that air contained in said chamber is vacated to the outside via the one-way air valve and such that the internal volume of the chamber, containing said one or more items, is reduced;
• removing the backing from the upper strip of adhesive material;
• folding the flap of the first sheet along an imaginary axis transverse to the side edges of the envelope, such that the flap covers the access opening so that the upper strip of adhesive material is below the airtight seal and the lower strip of adhesive material is above the airtight seal and the perforated tear line overlies the airtight seal;
• and
• adhering the upper strip of adhesive material to an outer side of the second sheet of the envelope, preferably between the bottom of the envelope and the airtight seal.

A method for returning one or more items that have been received in a plastic shipping envelope, the plastic shipping envelope comprising:

• a first plastic sheet and a second plastic sheet, bonded to each other at a bottom edge of the shipping envelope and at side edges of the shipping envelope, wherein a chamber is present between inner sides of said first and second plastic sheets, and wherein an access opening is provided at a top side of the shipping envelope to allow one or more items to be inserted in and retrieved from said chamber;
• a re-sealable airtight seal with interlocking sealing strips, one of the interlocking sealing strips being arranged on the inside of the first sheet and the other of the interlocking sealing strips being arranged on the inside of the second sheet, both sealing strips being arranged near the access opening, in a direction transverse to the side edges;
• and
• a one-way air valve, fluidly connecting the chamber of the shipping envelope to the outside, such that air can be vacated, when said chamber is closed by sealing said airtight seal, from the chamber to the outside,
• wherein the first sheet has a flap portion that, with respect to the second sheet, extends beyond the top edge of said second sheet,
• wherein the flap portion of said first sheet is provided with upper strip of adhesive material and a lower strip of adhesive material, each of said strips of adhesive material being arranged in a direction transverse to the side edges, each of said strips of adhesive material being covered, at a side thereof facing away from the flap portion, by a respective user-removable backing, and
• wherein the flap portion is provided with a perforated tear line, arranged in between said strips of adhesive material and overlying the airtight seal,
• wherein the items have been removed from the plastic shipping envelope by rupturing the perforated tear line, folding back the flap portion, and opening the airtight seal, and
• wherein the method comprises the steps of:
• inserting one or more items in the chamber of the shipping envelope;
• closing the airtight seal with the interlocking sealing strips;
• compressing the chamber of the shipping envelope, such that air contained in said chamber is vacated to the outside via the one-way air valve and such that the internal volume of the chamber, containing said one or more items, is reduced;
• removing the backing from the remaining of the strips of adhesive material;
• folding the flap of the first sheet along an imaginary axis transverse to the side edges of the envelope, such that the flap covers the access opening;
• and
• adhering the remaining of the strips of adhesive material, directly or indirectly, to an outer side of the second sheet of the envelope so that the upper strip of adhesive material is below the airtight seal and the lower strip of adhesive material is above the airtight seal.