Manilla envelopes are considered as highly eco-friendly and sustainable, due to their recycled, recyclable, and compostable ability. Generally, manilla envelopes contain around 80% recycled content, which means fewer raw materials are used during the manufacturing process of making the paper for envelopes.

Recycled content is the percentage of materials that has been recovered from its previous use, to be manufactured into a new product so that it has another life cycle. 

Paper made from raw materials is normally created by pulp wood, that is put into a solution of chemicals, like sodium hydroxide, until it turns into a paper-like texture ready to be used. Using recycled content reduces the amount of raw materials, like the pulp wood from trees, that needs to be sourced and cut down, which saves both energy and materials.