Lend an ear: Corn-based material introduced for biodegradable packaging

Dive Brief:

• Biotech company Corn Next has released CornNext-17, a corn starch-based material made through a natural fermentation process. It can be used to make biodegradable packaging such as straws, table ware and single-use food containers.
• The biobased material is USDA and BPI certified and breaks down in 30 days in natural environments without the need for additional equipment, said David Xu, the company’s fractional CFO. It does not contain PFAS and “can even be eaten by birds. And if it’s mingled with water, it can be used as a food for fish,” he said.
• The company plans to move its home base and operations to Decatur, Illinois, this year. Corn Next first launched in China and its operations are still there, but its holding company is currently based in Irvine, California.

Dive Insight:

The search for materials — including corn, seaweed, fungus and shrimp shells, among others — suitable for making biobased plastics is in full force as companies seek alternatives to conventional fossil fuel-based plastics to improve sustainability. In addition to being biobased, some manufacturers also tout their bioplastics’ ability to break down relatively quickly at the packaging product’s end-of-life.

PLA and PHA are two of the more commonly used bioplastics, and PLA also can be made with corn. Corn Next’s physical structure is similar to those resins, but it doesn’t have chemical additives and can break down faster, Xu said. The fermentation process to produce CornNext-17 also occurs without added heat, he said.

Illinois-based agricultural product supplier and trader Archer Daniels Midland will supply Corn Next with its corn starch feedstock. One reason the latter company is moving to Illinois — likely in the second quarter — is the proximity to ADM, Xu said. Another reason is to be close to research universities, such as the University of Illinois, that could help to further advance the product development and applications.

Although the corn starch-based products break down easily in water, the company promotes the material as being robust enough so the products do not disintegrate during normal use. Years of R&D have resulted in an extended product use time: The first generation lasted for about 30 minutes in water, while a recently released version lasts 45 minutes in hot water and two hours in cold water. And the development isn’t stopping there.

“We have a new generation which is mixed with graphene, which increases the structure and can last in the cold water for like five hours,” Xu said.

The integrity of a straw made with CornNext-17 makes it more desirable than paper versions, which degrade and become unusable relatively quickly in water, Xu said. Plus, Corn Next’s products do not contain any potentially harmful barrier materials like paper straws sometimes do. 

Although Corn Next is a materials producer, it makes some products, including straws and spoons, to demonstrate to customers the types of products CornNext-17 can be used to manufacture. The biotech company will continue to make a certain amount of products as it identifies new applications and continues searching for additional end-use partners.

CornNext-17 also is suitable for manufacturing plastic bags and films, as well as disposal medical packaging such as pill vials, according to the company. It also has applications in other industries, such as automotive and electronics. The material can be used on existing packaging manufacturing lines with minor adjustments to operating specifications, like for temperature. 

The company currently has the capacity to produce about 10 tons of material per day, but it is only producing about 1 ton per day as it scales, Xu explained. After Corn Next moves in a few months, it will have the capacity to produce 20 tons to 30 tons per day. The company aims for production to begin in Illinois during the third or fourth quarter.