RFI_-_Polybag_Mailers_CA_Lottery.pdf

Data Classification: Sensitive

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION #R006348

Polybag Mailers

October 13, 2026

This document is a Request for Information (RFI) to better understand the products and costs for alternatives to petroleum-based poly bags.

The Lottery encourages qualified vendors that provide various shipping bag materials or technologies with a focus on sustainable materials, energy efficiency, and resource conservation.

This RFI is non-binding, and the Lottery will have no obligation under it and no contract will be awarded based on it. A response to the RFI is optional and not a requirement.

Responses may be used to prepare for future solicitations, which may serve as the basis of a contract award. If the Lottery issues future solicitations for polybag mailers, it will be distributed to all respondents to this RFI and potentially other public business opportunity postings.

If you have questions, or should you need clarifying information, the contact person for this RFI is:

California State Lottery Oriana Danielson odanielson@calottery.com

RFI #R006348 October 13, 2026

I. Background

The California State Lottery (Lottery) is an independent state agency that markets and sells lottery products to provide supplemental funding for public education. The Lottery operates with a mandate to actively work to reduce its environmental footprint, focusing on sustainable facilities, energy efficiency, and resource conservation. In support of this goal, Sales Support & Distribution is interested in alternatives to shipping bags made of polyethylene as it is not a readily biodegradable material.

Currently, the Lottery Distribution Centers use dedicated bags to ship Scratchers® ticket orders to over 21,600 retailers and to ship unsold, expired tickets to the Northern Distribution Center (NDC) for destruction. Examples are provided as Attachments 1 and 2. To protect the tickets from damage during shipment, a 5.0 mil, tri-extruded polyethylene bag is used because of its strength and tamper resistance. The Lottery’s Scratchers® shipping bags must meet the following criteria:

• Water-resistant: The bags must survive rain, humidity, and package handling without sustaining damage.

• Tamper-resistant: The bags cannot be opened or resealed without visible damage.

• Opaque: The material of the bags needs to conceal the visibility of the contents to deter theft.

The Lottery is interested in alternatives to polyethylene shipping materials in an effort to meet the mandate of reducing our environmental footprint and to enhance the Lottery brand image as more eco-conscious.

Objective of RFI

The Lottery is releasing this RFI to gather information from companies with significant expertise and experience in providing products or similar products to those outlined in Section II, Projected Scope of Work Objectives. Responses to this RFI will help the Lottery gain a better understanding of vendors’ products and anticipated costs of shipping materials.

The main objective of this RFI is to find vendors capable of supplying the quantity of polybags needed by the Lottery with a focus on environmentally sustainable materials while meeting the operational standards required for shipping Scratchers® to Lottery Retailers.

Vendors must be capable of supplying upwards of approximately 1.6 million units per year.

The information received from Respondents will be used as follows:

To compile information regarding materials, capability, tools, and pricing specifications.

To assist the Lottery in identifying products and methods that can meet business needs and environmental mandates.

To offer respondents a chance to provide additional information, not specifically requested, but which the responder deems important and/or relevant may also be submitted.

Note: Although Responder comments are strongly encouraged and deemed important, the Lottery makes no commitment to change the requirements based on input received.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION

BEFORE RESPONDING TO THIS RFI:

1. The Lottery will not reimburse vendors for costs associated with responding to this

RFI.

2. The Lottery has no obligation to issue a solicitation or make a purchase as a result of this RFI.

3. Information provided in response to this RFI will not be considered when evaluating bidders who respond to any future procurement.

4. Although all comments received will be carefully reviewed and may be considered for inclusion in possible later action, the Lottery makes no commitment to include any recommendations. Further, respondents will not be notified of the result of this process.

5. Since this RFI is not a request for bids and no commitment is required of either party, protests will not be considered by the Lottery.

6. Samples. Any samples sent to the Lottery are at Respondents’ sole expense and will not be returned. Respondents may send samples to:

California State Lottery Attn: Oriana Danielson 700 N. 10th St.

Sacramento, CA 95811

II. Projected Scope of Work Objectives

The information provided in this section is for informational purposes only. Actual work performed as part of a successful solicitation and award process may differ.

The California Lottery wants to understand what shipping material alternatives to polyethylene are available. This matters because polyethylene is not a readily biodegradable material, and the Lottery has a mandate to actively work to reduce its environmental footprint.

Polyethylene shipping bags have been used due to being highly available, water-resistant, tamper-resistant, and opaque (non see through). Polyethylene bags are also easily customizable in product size and appearance. Customizable sizing of shipping bags are important for the Lottery’s operations because the Lottery ships a wide variety of Scratcher Ticket sizes. Attached at the end of this document are the current specifications for two types of bags the Lottery uses.

Scratchers® Pack Approximate Dimensions:

Price Point Length Width Depth

$1 10” 4” 0.75” $2 8” 4” 0.5625” $3 12” 4” 0.5625” $5 12” 4” 0.50”

$10 8” 4” 0.375” $20 9” 4” 0.25” $30 10” 4” 0.25” $40 11” 4” 0.25” $50* 13” 4” 0.25”

*$50 price point dimensions are an estimate not currently in production

Ticket bundles are wrapped in plastic.

In addition to the above packing dimension requirements, the Lottery’s main distributor of Scratchers® requires parcels to stay under 18 inches on the longest side, 13 inches on the second longest side, and 5 inches in height; otherwise, the parcel will be billed with additional surcharges.

The ability to customize the external appearance (e.g., image, logo, wording) of the bags is important for the Lottery’s operations to allow for branding recognition, and to assist retailers to identify new Lottery Scratchers® games or promotional products.

The Lottery is open to other recommended materials that may better address the operation objectives.

III. Questionnaire

Please fill in the attached Response Sheet.

For each objective listed in the first column of the Response Sheet, provide a high-level description of and reasoning for the type of products and services that would best address those objectives. Also provide the preferred sample size, cost range estimate, and any other concerns or limitations you feel the Lottery should be aware of.

Objectives:

Environmentally sustainable alternative means the product replaces a traditional, high-impact option to cause less harm to the natural environment.

What environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags are available?

Are there vendors capable of supplying upwards of approximately 1.6 million units per year?

Would the production of these bags be in the US or would these bags need to be imported?

What is the estimated lead time for production and delivery of these bags?

What is the cost of environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags (per thousand)?

What is the durability of environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags (e.g., weight limitations)?

What are the options for customization (in both bag size and external branding) of environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags?

Are environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags available with the same durability or better durability of a 5.0 mil thickness tri-extruded polyethylene bag?

Are environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags tamper-resistant?

Are environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags water-resistant?

What are the environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags to be opaque to conceal the contents of the parcel?

What are the environmentally sustainable alternatives to polyethylene shipping bags to have an external, sealable pouch that can hold an invoice/manifest?

IV. Key Action Dates

Event Date Time RFI available to prospective responders October 13, 2026

Questions due to Lottery October 20, 2026 3:00pm PST Responses to Questions October 27, 2026

Final Date for Response submission November 3, 2026 3:00pm PST

V. Responses

Responses and/or inquiries must be submitted electronically via email and the questions must be addressed in the order that they appear in Section III, Questionnaire. Documents must be submitted in a Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Responses must include a cover page that identifies the following:

1. Company Name

2. Company Mailing Address

3. Company Representative’s Name

4. Company Representative’s Telephone Number

5. Company Representative’s E-mail Address

Please submit your RFI response, no later than the date and time specified under Section IV, Key Action Dates electronically to:

California State Lottery Oriana Danielson odanielson@calottery.com

ATTACHMENT 1

CURRENT RETURN PACKAGING

NOTE: The Lottery is exploring environmentally sustainable alternative options that uses less packaging to fit Scratcher packs.

18” 18”

18” 18”

18”

18”

18”

18”

ATTACHMENT 2

CURRENT DELIVERY PACKAGING

NOTE: The Lottery is exploring environmentally sustainable alternative options that uses less packaging to fit Scratcher packs. In addition, the current clear window pouch will not be necessary as adhesive deliver labels will be used instead.