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Sustainability efforts continue to rise for all industries across the market. Businesses worldwide endeavor to make a concerted effort to meet sustainable consumer demands while maintaining high-quality product packaging.
The restaurant industry, in particular, has seen an enormous influx of sustainable packaging options. From biodegradable to recyclable packaging, the restaurant industry is taking significant steps toward eco-friendly solutions.
In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the most popular biodegradable packaging option, cornstarch packaging. If you haven’t already made the switch, we’ll lay out everything you need to know to take the leap toward more sustainable efforts in your packaging!
What is Cornstarch Packaging?
Source: PakFactory
Cornstarch is a biodegradable packaging material that can replace polystyrene (Styrofoam) and plastic. Available in transparent and opaque materials, cornstarch can be used in various ways, but the most popular way to utilize cornstarch packaging is for takeaway food.
This includes packaging options such as;
Unlike petroleum-based plastic, cornstarch containers are biodegradable and renewable, making them an excellent choice for eco-friendly packaging material and plastic alternatives.
How is Cornstarch Packaging Made?
Cornstarch is part of a more significant movement of emerging bioplastics derived from agricultural waste or byproducts. More companies are starting to create their own environmentally safe alternatives to plastics using various renewable resources like vegetables, oil, fats, recycled food wastes, and, you guessed it, cornstarch.
Cornstarch containers use polylactic acid (PLA) plastic made by fermenting the plant sugar and starch. Compared to traditional plastics, PLA plastic is much more environmentally friendly and sustainable as it releases fewer greenhouse gases during production and does not include toxic materials.
Not only is PLA plastic better in production and the exclusion of toxic materials, but when disposed of correctly, it can serve as fertilizer and only takes several months to break down instead of the hundreds of years traditional plastics take.
There are even an array of PLA plastic types or grades to choose from, including;
On top of being more environmentally friendly, cornstarch packaging is very cost competitive to traditional plastics, using the cheapest commercially available sugars, so there is no need to worry about exorbitantly higher costs, overuse and limited supplies. Moreover, the FDA has also approved PLA for use as a polymer, and it is regarded as 100% food safe.
The Lifecycle of a Cornstarch Container
We briefly touched upon the lifecycle of cornstarch packaging in our previous section, but it is worth going into more detail about why this material is so much better than traditional plastics.
For starters, at the beginning of this package’s lifecycle, it is derived from renewable resources, unlike petroleum-based plastic. And in the processing and manufacturing phase of its lifecycle, cornstarch plastic emits fewer greenhouse gasses than traditional plastic.
Once this eco-packaging reaches the consumer, it is used like any other product before moving into the end phase of its lifecycle, disposal.
The main characteristic of biodegradable cornstarch packaging is that it naturally degrades or can serve as fertilizer, leaving behind no negative environmental concerns or hazardous gases. Within months, cornstarch plastic can break down into just carbon dioxide and water, further helping to reduce the carbon footprint of both consumers and businesses.
But is it worth investing in? The short answer is yes.
The Cornstarch Packaging Market
Because of the exponential growth in the environmentally friendly movement, starch packaging materials and other bioplastics are quickly gaining market share. According to Globe News Wire, the biodegradable cornstarch packaging market will reach USD 126.85 billion by 2026.
Bio-based materials have many environmental benefits over time, and being renewable can make them an even better alternative to less eco-friendly options. As more companies pledge to change for a healthier planet, identifying and scaling sustainable packaging options is crucial to product and business success.
But what exactly are the benefits of cornstarch packaging for your business?
The Pros & Cons of Cornstarch Packaging
Using biodegradable packaging material offers companies many benefits, especially as a replacement for conventional plastics. Looking back at the lifecycle of cornstarch containers, we can already see the benefits to businesses and the environment.
The main advantage of using cornstarch packaging is that it is renewable since corn is affordable and readily available. Unlike petroleum-based plastic, there is no scarcity of resources, making it easier to utilize this kind of packaging material effectively and for the long term.
Starch packaging materials are also 100% biodegradable, recyclable and compostable, making them great for an eco-friendly initiative.
On top of this, no harmful toxins are present in the material, making it much safer to produce and use for consumers. Cornstarch is effective as food packaging since it is 100% food-safe, has a high aroma barrier, and is resistant to food fat and oils without additional coatings or chemicals.
Source: PakFactory
Furthermore, cornstarch packaging has low flammability and works well for printing applications, allowing businesses to brand their packaging without causing harm to the environment and offer a high-quality customer experience.
But while these cornstarch benefits seem significant enough to make the change, it’s still essential to cover both sides of the coin. Let’s examine the drawbacks to ensure you are well informed about your decision.
Firstly, because cornstarch is so new as a packaging material, infrastructure is not in place yet to fully support it. While this will improve over time, using cornstarch as a packaging material currently poses some challenges. Though the polymers in cornstarch packaging are indeed eco-friendly and compostable, only a few facilities can now accommodate them.
This type of packaging also relies on customer behaviors. Because most customers will not compost the material properly, most cornstarch packaging will likely end up in landfills due to improper disposal. In addition, composting PLA plastic in large quantities could cause other issues, as doing so may make regular compost more acidic, posing a threat to the environmental impact.
The only way to combat these issues is by raising awareness about this packaging material and the proper disposal process to prevent more packaging from ending up in landfills.
Why You Should Switch to Cornstarch Packaging
Despite its drawbacks, cornstarch containers are still much more eco-friendly than plastic. So now that you’ve seen all the benefits and disadvantages of this eco-friendly alternative, you might still wonder, is it worth switching to this biodegradable packaging?
For more information, please visit resin biodegradable supplier.
Yes! Cornstarch packaging material can significantly benefit your business and the environment, making this packaging solution worthwhile. It can help your business become more socially responsible and attract eco-conscious shoppers focused on supporting eco-friendly businesses.
Source: Chris Martinie
Consumers have become much more conscious of greenwashed packaging and are much more knowledgeable about materials in the industry. Using cornstarch is an excellent start to help market your brand effectively and establish a more authentic connection with customers.
Make the Jump to Sustainability
With impending bans on single-use plastics looming, switching to more sustainable options is fast becoming a necessity rather than a choice.
Even so, using more environmentally friendly and innovative options such as cornstarch packaging materials or other biodegradable options helps you stand out and highlights your commitment to an increasing push for sustainability.
As we continue to learn more about the fate of plastics, exploring biodegradable and sustainable packaging materials is vital to stand out as a brand in the long run.
Were you looking to learn more about your sustainable packaging options? Get in contact with our product specialists to discuss your options today!
Author Dr. Bettina Plaumann
As pollution from petroleum-based plastics has continued to grow, so has interest in biodegradable materials capable of replacing these synthetic, single-use plastics. Thermoplastic starches, or TPSs*, are an increasingly popular solution to the challenge of sustainable plastics. These materials are biodegradable, come from inexpensive and renewable sources, and can be processed with methods and machinery already in use for synthetic plastics.
In this article, we’ll cover the basics of thermoplastic starches, their advantages and disadvantages, and many of the types of thermoplastic starch and thermoplastic starch blends that are available today.
*Not to be confused with thermoplastic styrene, a petroleum-based thermoplastic elastomer.
Starch is a readily available natural resource that is mainly used by plants to store energy. Crops that are high in starch, such as potatoes and rice, are already widely produced as staple foods, and starch is used in industries ranging from food and flavoring to textiles and cosmetics. Thanks to its natural origins and abundance, starch is completely biodegradable and renewable.
Chemically, starch is a polysaccharide composed mainly of amylose and amylopectin. The long chains and branches of these natural polymers give starch its useful physical properties. The exact composition of a starch depends on the plant that produces it, and so do some of its important properties.
Corn starch Amylose AmylopectinAlthough pure starch is used in many other applications, it must be processed before it can be used as a plastic. When combined with water and plasticizers (such as glycerol and sorbitol), starch can be heated and sheared to produce a biodegradable polymer known as thermoplastic starch, or TPS.
Biodegradable plastic pellets made from starchThermoplastic starch can be repeatably heated, reformed, and cooled to form a variety of plastic products using existing methods for synthetic plastics. Although its simplest forms exhibit some downsides, TPS is often blended with other polymers to create highly functional, low-cost, fully biodegradable plastics.
Starches vary in composition depending on the plant they are sourced from. This introduces an extra level of complexity when producing TPS, but offers a wider range of options for the final plastic’s properties.
Thermoplastic starch is a promising replacement for many synthetic plastic applications. It is made from naturally occurring and biodegradable materials that are already inexpensive and abundant, making it low-cost, easy to implement, and environmentally friendly.
TPS is also highly versatile and modular. When blended with other polymers, whether natural or synthetic, its properties can be tailored to a wide range of applications. It can also be used in existing plastification processes and equipment designed for synthetic polymers, such as extrusion, injection molding, and blow molding.
When not blended with other fibers or polymers, thermoplastic starches have a few distinct disadvantages. TPS is naturally prone to retrogradation, returning to a more crystalline, starch-like structure as it cools and causing brittleness and poor mechanical properties. It is also naturally hydrophilic, giving it high water solubility and poor water resistance, as well as worse performance in higher humidities.
Corn, morphing into plastic pellets, forming a tray (fictional and stylized illustration generated by AI)PLANTIC™, the starch-based plastic, is a fully compostable and easy-to-recycle multilayer packaging solution. PLANTIC™ has excellent mechanical properties, doesn’t embrittle over time, and features a PE/PET skin for water resistance. Get in touch with our experts to learn more about PLANTIC™.
Contact usTo address the disadvantages of thermoplastic starch, it is often blended with other polymers to control and improve its properties. By combining strong but expensive polymers with abundant and sustainable TPS, manufacturers can produce a low-cost, effective biodegradable plastic.
PVA is a high-cost, biodegradable polymer ideal for packaging applications. When blended with TPS, PVA improves the mechanical and thermal properties of the final plastic while remaining fully biodegradable and decreasing the overall cost. However, the starch/PVA blend remains hydrophilic, and for high-humidity and water barrier applications, additives like glutaraldehyde must be included to maintain its mechanical properties.
Laundry detergent pods made from a TPS / PVA blendPLA is a renewable polyester that forms highly flexible films but is both expensive and brittle. Blends of TPS and PLA aim to eliminate the mechanical downsides of TPS while reducing brittleness and cost. TPS and PLA don’t mix well inherently, but can be effectively blended through co-plasticization and additives such as epoxidized vegetable oils. The resulting plastic has improved strength and is fully biodegradable.
PBS is a biodegradable polyester for applications with good chemical and water resistance, thermal and mechanical properties, and melt processibility. When blended with TPS, the resulting plastic has improved tensile properties and water resistance while remaining both less costly and biodegradable.
Plastic film made from a TPS / PBS blend in agricultural useBiopolymer composites like TPS blends are often strengthened with fibers, which were once mostly synthetic materials such as glass and carbon. Today, natural fibers, especially those sourced from plants, are an increasingly attractive option for many applications. They offer advantages in tensile properties, safety, and biodegradability, as well as lower density, cost, and energy use.
The addition of specially prepared cellulose nanofibers to TPS has several mechanical benefits, including higher tensile strength, lower density, improved water resistance, and improved thermal resistance. Additionally, both starch and cellulose are widely available, renewable, and biodegradable.
Thanks to the vast quantities of sugarcane produced around the world, sugarcane fiber is an excellent candidate for combination with TPS. Composites of sugarcane fiber and TPS have enhanced tensile strength and water resistance. However, the qualities of the sugarcane used, such as species and age, may affect the quality of the resulting material, making sugarcane a less preferable option.
Cassava is a widely used staple crop that produces a solid, fibrous byproduct known as cassava bagasse. Like many other natural plant fibers, cassava fibers have strong intermolecular interactions with starches, which improve the tensile strength and water resistance of the final plastic.
The renewability, biodegradability, and cost-effectiveness of thermoplastic starches make them excellent candidates for any application using high volumes of disposable plastic, especially packaging.
Thermoplastic starches are increasingly popular in applications such as:
PLANTIC™ is Kuraray’s thermoplastic, starch-based plastic for a wide variety of packaging applications. Unlike other TPS products, which are typically plasticized and blended, PLANTIC™ is produced from high-amylose corn starch through a chemical modification process called hydroxypropylation.
This unique process effectively plasticizes the starch, resulting in a material that behaves as a thermoplastic without the usual weaknesses of TPS and can be tailored through additional processes for further improved performance. The PLANTIC™ process provides many advantages beyond just a renewable and biodegradable plastic and a low-carbon production process.
PLANTIC™ does not undergo retrogradation, has excellent mechanical properties, is naturally anti-static and oil resistant, and is sealable, printable, and laser etchable. PLANTIC™ also provides a superior gas barrier and flavor barrier ideal for food packaging, a quality that typical plasticized TPS and TPS blends struggle to achieve.
PLANTIC™ comes in a range of modified starches to meet the needs of a wide variety of end-use applications, spanning rigid packaging, injection molding resins, flexible films, and barrier resins.
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