Plastic pollution has become one of the most alarming environmental challenges of our time. Every year, millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills and oceans, harming ecosystems and human health. But a scientific breakthrough — cornstarch-based polythene — is offering a green alternative that behaves like plastic but biodegrades naturally.
In this blog, we’ll explore the science, process, and real-world applications of cornstarch-based polythene — and how Earth Relief is leading the way in this sustainable transformation.
🧬 What Is Cornstarch-Based Polythene?
Cornstarch-based polythene is a biopolymer film created from natural starch extracted from corn (maize). Unlike conventional polyethylene (made from petroleum-based polymers), cornstarch-based polythene is biodegradable, compostable, and non-toxic.
When exposed to moisture, sunlight, and microorganisms, it breaks down into carbon dioxide, water, and organic biomass, leaving no harmful residues.
⚗️ How Is It Made? The Scientific Process
The process begins by extracting starch from corn kernels. This starch is then plasticized — converted into a flexible polymer through heat and the addition of natural plasticizers such as glycerol or sorbitol.
Starch Extraction: Corn is ground and washed to separate starch granules.
Gelatinization: Heat and water are applied to break down the crystalline structure of starch.
Blending with Additives: Natural plasticizers are added to make the film flexible.
Film Extrusion: The material is melted and stretched into thin films, similar to traditional plastic production.
Cooling and Cutting: The final biodegradable sheet is cooled, cut, and shaped into bags or packaging material.
This process produces thermoplastic starch (TPS), a material that mimics plastic’s strength but degrades naturally within months under composting conditions.
🧪 Chemical Structure Explained
Cornstarch is primarily composed of two polysaccharides — amylose and amylopectin. When heated with water and plasticizers, the hydrogen bonds between molecules weaken, allowing the starch to flow like a thermoplastic polymer.
This gives the final product flexibility and stretchability while keeping it environmentally friendly. The material’s molecular structure also allows it to absorb moisture and decompose faster when exposed to microorganisms.
🌎 Why It’s a Game-Changer for Sustainability
The key advantages of cornstarch-based polythene include:
✅ Biodegradability: Completely breaks down in soil or compost within 3–6 months.
✅ Renewable Resource: Made from corn — a renewable agricultural crop.
✅ Non-Toxic: No harmful chemical release during production or disposal.
✅ Reduced Carbon Footprint: Production emits less CO₂ compared to petroleum plastics.
✅ Safe for Food Contact: Ideal for grocery and food packaging.
These features make it a viable replacement for single-use plastics banned under India’s Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules.
🧰 Applications in the Real World
Cornstarch-based polythene is already being used in:
Grocery carry bags
Food packaging films
Agricultural mulch films
Garbage and compost bags
Courier and shipping mailers
In India, innovative startups like Earth Relief are taking this material mainstream, making it affordable and durable enough for everyday retail and industrial use.
⚙️ Earth Relief’s Innovative Approach
At Earth Relief, we’ve developed a physics-driven design approach to biodegradable packaging. Our cornstarch-based polybags are engineered for strength, flexibility, and rapid decomposition.
We use a controlled blend ratio of starch, glycerol, and biodegradable polymers to achieve higher load-bearing capacity — a challenge that many biodegradable films face.
Every bag produced at Earth Relief is tested for tensile strength, water resistance, and composting rate to ensure it meets CPCB-certified biodegradable standards.
👉 Explore our biodegradable product range to see how science meets sustainability.
🔬 Challenges and Future Research
While promising, cornstarch-based polythene still faces a few challenges:
Cost of production is slightly higher than petroleum plastics.
Moisture sensitivity limits use in high-humidity conditions.
Scalability requires investment in industrial-grade biodegradable resin facilities.
However, ongoing research in nanocellulose reinforcement and hybrid biopolymer blends is helping overcome these issues. With time, India can achieve large-scale adoption of fully biodegradable packaging.
🌱 Conclusion
Cornstarch-based polythene represents a scientific evolution in how we think about packaging. It bridges the gap between environmental responsibility and material performance.
Companies like Earth Relief are turning scientific innovation into real-world change — making biodegradable materials accessible to everyone, from small retailers to global brands.
Switch to sustainability today with Earth Relief’s biodegradable packaging solutions and be part of India’s green revolution.
👉 Visit earthrelief.in/store