Corn Starch Packaging- Cost-Effective & Eco-Friendly Solution for Brands’ Growth

In March 2025, the World Bank reported that air pollution has contributed to around 5.7 million deaths worldwide. Whereas, in 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted that around 91% of the global population resides in the areas where the Air Quality Index (AQI) is below the recommended values. Considering these facts of continuously increasing environmental pollution and degradation, achieving sustainability goals has become a must. That’s why eco-friendly packaging is trending in the industry.

Among all the famous sustainable packaging options, cornstarch packaging tops the list to help you reduce your brand’s carbon footprint while providing an elegant and durable packaging for products. Cornstarch is a popular biodegradable material, considered one of the best alternatives for polystyrene (Styrofoam) and plastic. As mentioned in the report by Future Market Insights, the cornstarch packaging industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 17.3% from 2023 to 2033. Let’s get detailed insights on this high-end, eco-friendly packaging material to go green while promoting your business.

What’s Cornstarch Packaging? How is it Beneficial for your Business?

It’s a specialized type of packaging that stands out for its matchless biodegradability. Cornstarch packaging is made primarily from polylactic acid (PLA) derived from cornstarch. Though it’s famous in countless industries, it’s one of the most trending packaging solutions in the competitive food market. It’s highly recommended for making custom takeaway boxes for delicious food items. Here are some of the most amazing packaging types made up of the best-quality cornstarch material:

• Cups and lid boxes
• Trays and meal containers
• Custom shipping pouches & mailer boxes
• Transparent window boxes
• Custom seal bags for frozen items

How Custom Corn Starch Packaging Can Benefit a Business?

Being a durable and sustainable material, the cornstarch packaging is considered one of the most useful packaging materials for businesses that stand out in their respective competitive markets. The following are some of the major perks that brands can avail by using custom cornstarch packaging for their valuable products:

• Reduce your brand’s carbon footprint by emitting less CO₂ during production.
• Being fully customizable, it helps differentiate your business from others in the market.
• Ensure safe and hygienic food packaging for consumers to build your brand’s trust among buyers.
• Provide a long-term cost-efficiency, ensuring a massive increase in your brand’s profitability.
• Fully comply with environmental regulations to enhance your brand’s reputation in the market and help grab more sales from eco-conscious consumers.

How to Manufacture Custom Cornstarch Packaging Boxes? A Comprehensive Guide

Here is how the professional custom box manufacturers compose high-end, 100% eco-friendly, and fully customized cornstarch packaging boxes for eco-conscious brands. Let’s have a look at the nitty-gritty of the process for a better understanding:

1- Source from Raw Materials:

Begin by extracting the best-quality starch from the endosperm of corn kernels. Harvest and process them in a professional way to separate starch from other parts of the kernel.

2- Convert Cornstarch into Polylactic Acid (PLA):

After cornstarch extraction, use any of the following methods to convert the top-quality cornstarch into polylactic acid (PLA), the biodegradable polymer used in making matchless cornstarch packaging boxes:

Fermentation Process: In this process, the corn starch is first converted into sugars, which are then fermented by microorganisms (bacteria or yeast) to produce lactic acid.

Polymerization: This advanced method is based on the polymerization (chemical bonding) of lactic acid to form PLA (Polylactic Acid). PLA molecules link together to create a strong and stable corn starch plastic.

3- Produce PLA Resin:

Once fermentation or polymerization is done, the resulting PLA material is professionally processed into a PLA resin in the form of:

• Granules
• Sheets
• Pallets

These raw forms of PLA are further molded and shaped into custom packaging shapes to fit a wide variety of valuable products.

4- Form the Packaging Material:

PLA resin having cornstarch composition is further heated and melted to form sheets or molds, fully customizable into different packaging types, such as boxes, trays, cups, lids, and many more options. The following are some of the most common methods used to form cornstarch packaging:

Injection Molding: In this supreme-quality manufacturing method, the PLA granules are melted & injected into molds to form custom-shaped boxes. Ideally, this method is used to create delicate and attractive corn starch packaging boxes.

Extrusion: Here, the PLA is heated and pushed through a die to create thin sheets or films, highly flexible and to be shaped into custom packaging boxes. Usually, thermoforming and die-cutting methods are used in extrusion to create your shape corn starch packaging solution.

Thermoforming: This method is based on the heating of PLA sheets to a pliable temperature. After heating, the sheets are shaped into desired custom packaging forms with the help of vacuum or pressure molds.

Compression Molding: In this method, the PLA sheet is pressed into a mold to form a custom box shape under heat and pressure. Compression molding is an ideal manufacturing process for creating thicker and sturdier cornstarch containers.

5- Print & Customize the Packaging Solution:

Next comes the major step of box customization and printing that makes your bespoke packaging boxes more visible on the store’s shelves. The following are some of the high-end customization and printing methods that ensure you a perfectly shaped, sized, and printed packaging. Let’s have a look at them:

Die-Cutting: It’s typically applied after the basic packaging shape is formed. Die-cutting helps to create custom shapes, sizes, and designs on the corn starch packaging boxes, trays, wraps, bags, and other packaging solutions.

Flexographic Printing: One of the common rotatory printing methods, flexography is highly recommended for custom branding on corn starch packaging boxes. It’s the special printing method in which ink is directly transferred onto the packaging.

Digital Printing: It’s highly preferred for printing shorter runs and detailed designs of custom corn starch packaging boxes. This method often stands out for its precise color replication and printing mechanism.

Screen Printing: Unlike digital printing, the professional screen-printing method is used for large block prints on custom corn starch packaging boxes. Brands often go with it to print their unique logos and marketing messages on the packaging surface.

6- Additional Surface Treatment:

Coating and heat-sealing mechanisms are available to enhance the overall durability and aesthetics of custom corn starch packaging solutions. These additional surface treatments are highly recommended to boost the quality and longevity of your product’s packaging. Here are some short definitions of coating and heat-sealing treatments for custom corn starch packaging boxes:

Coating: It’s an application of a thin, eco-friendly layer to the custom corn starch packaging box. The purpose of sustainable coating is to enhance the moisture and grease resistance of the packaging to improve the premium gloss of the printed design.

Heat Sealing: Some custom corn starch packaging boxes are heat-sealed or glued, especially at the edges, for extra durability. This ensures that the packaging, especially the food packaging, remains intact during the handling and transportation.

At last, a detailed quality control and testing is performed to check and ensure the durability, strength, and food safety of the corn starch packaging solution. Once satisfied with the box’s quality, make it ready for shipping and distribution.

How to Recycle or Compost a Custom Corn Starch Packaging Box?

You need to follow the vital steps given below to ensure a 100% recyclability of custom-printed corn starch packaging boxes:

1- Check Out Local Recycling Guidelines:

First, check with your local recycling program to ensure they accept corn starch-based packaging for recycling or not. It’s compulsory because some organizations have specific guidelines for accepting biodegradable and compostable material for recycling. Moreover, it’s also advised to confirm that your custom corn starch packaging box is PLA-based because these packaging types stand out for their biodegradability and compostability features.

2- Properly Clean the Packaging:

When found a reliable recycling organization, make your box ready to cycle. Thoroughly clean out custom corn starch packaging boxes to remove all kinds of contaminants, dust, and other factors. Rinse or wipe down the packaging if needed, as dirty packaging can badly affect the recycling process and overall cost consumption.

Besides detailed cleaning, focus on removing all the non-biodegradable components from the packaging boxes. Whether they are foil coatings, plastic windows, or any other non-biodegradable add-ons, everything should be perfectly removed and disposed of. Only the biodegradable or compostable material on the packaging should be placed in the composting or recycling bin.

3- Opt for the Composting or Recycling Processes:

Corn starch is often preferred to be compostable, which means it can be naturally broken down in a composting environment. Here are two famous methods for the proper disposal of the packaging:

Composting

• Look for the “compostable” or “biodegradable” logo on the packaging.
• For home composting, simply tear the box into smaller pieces to boost the decomposition process. Place it in the compostable bin along with other organic wastes, such as fruit, vegetables, and many more such items.
• In case of commercial composting, make sure that your local waste management offers comprehensive industrial composting services.

Recycling

• First, check out the material type in detail. If the box is made up of cornstarch with some paper or cardboard components, the box is ready for recycling.
• Before recycling, make sure none of the packaging material is dirty or contaminated.
• Follow local guidelines to find the best place where you can get 100% recyclability of custom corn starch packaging boxes.

What are Some of the Reusability Options for Custom Corn Starch Packaging Solutions?

Before disposing of custom corn starch packaging boxes, you are allowed to consider the following two methods to reuse the packaging in the best possible way:

• Store small items around the house in bespoke cornstarch packaging boxes.
• Repurpose these boxes in different creative ways for craft or DIY projects.

Where to Buy the Best Corn Starch Packaging to Attract Eco-Conscious Consumers & Boost Sales?

Are you looking for high-grade custom corn starch packaging boxes to present your products in an attractive yet biodegradable manner? Contact CPP Boxes at 888-395-0493 or quotes@cppboxes.com. We are the one shop of an endless variety of 100% eco-friendly corn starch packaging at wholesale prices. Our supportive staff is available 24/7 to address your queries and provide you with the best solution. Book your order today and avail a minimum of 100 units of bespoke corn starch packaging boxes within 7-9 business days.