In accordance with the EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology, the life cycle of recyclable direct-shipped courier cartons was assessed using SimaPro software to explore the environmental benefits of recycling. The EF 3.1 Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method was employed to analyze 16 categories of environmental footprint and interpret the life cycle impacts. The findings indicate that the climate change, freshwater eutrophication, fossil resource depletion, particulate matter formation, land use, and acidification are the most significant environmental impacts on the life cycle of recyclable direct-shipped courier cartons, accounting for over 80% of the overall environmental impacts. The lifecycle of 10 000 sets of recyclable direct-shipped courier cartons results in a climate change impact of 4436.88 kg CO2 eq. The primary environmental burden originates from the raw material production phase, followed by the product manufacturing phase, with lamination, printing, packaging, and transportation being the most relevant stages in the production process. After 1 to 5 cycles, the climate change impacts can be reduced by 50% to 80%. The environmental impacts of recyclable direct-shipped courier cartons can be effectively mitigated by optimizing the structure and materials of the cartons, minimizing raw material consumption and electricity usage during production, and utilizing clean energy.