Corn Loose Fill

As a safe and dimensionally stable package filling: use starch based packaging chips and not plastic

Choosing the right packaging material is the be-all and end-all if you want to pack and ship goods safely. Starch based packaging chips are the ideal solution for different items in different quantities. Use starch filling material and enjoy the advantage of having optimal protection for different goods due to its impact resistance as well as dimensional stability.

Why is packaging material so important?

Especially during shipping, parcels pass through different stations. They are transported and loaded several times and also end up on conveyor belts. It is not uncommon for them to be tossed around and sometimes even fall off. Even parcel goods that are marked "fragile" are still sometimes handled a little more roughly. It is therefore important to provide sufficient padding inside to protect the goods and packaging material corn and not plastic is therefore essential. Apart from fragile items, this is also important for electronics, as even the smallest impact can cause a defect. Retailers are also required by law to ship packages properly and securely so that they arrive at the customer's door as intact as possible.

How are packaging chips made from starch?

Thanks to technology and the increase of expansions in various industries, it is no surprise nowadays that there is plant-based cushioning material. Starch packaging chips are made from plants like maize, wheat or potatoes. They are made from starch and water. Despite their natural origin, they are in no way inferior to the alternative plastic. Due to their robustness, the starch packaging chips can also be reused frequently.

The packaging chips typically have a special S-shape. This prevents the well-known quicksand effect on the products. This means that they do not sink to the bottom, but are surrounded and secured on all sides by the chips. If you choose starch as the packaging material, it also has a comparatively low net weight and is now also available in many shops.

What makes plant-based starch packaging flakes so special?

Most chips are available in different designs and are therefore suitable for packaging different items and for different shipping boxes. To prevent items from sliding around in the box, it is ideal to use starch packaging chips as a filling material, because they easily fill any empty spaces. These starch packaging chips are so-called organic or even "Bio"-Chips, but this is not really correct - they do not have some kind of certification. You can buy these organic corn packaging chips on the market in different quantities. They are usually sold per Litre.

Possible uses of the plant-based chips as packaging material

Use starch packaging material for storing or shipping various things. You can use them for padding or for filling boxes. Particularly sensitive items, such as smartphones, laptops or glass, can be stored well with this packaging material. These chips are also comparatively small and are therefore also well suited for securing smaller or very irregularly shaped items. Even a hollow space in the box can therefore be filled with these chips easily.

The advantages packaging chips made of starch

Due to their properties, corn flips offer many different advantages, which will be explained to you in detail in the following sections.

Natural raw materials, easy disposal

The starch used for these packaging chips comes from maize, potatoes or wheat. The other, base ingredients are water, ethanol and may be some die to get a special color. If the manufacturer declares them compostable and they are not stained or polluted, they can be industrially composted via the organic waste bin. Please check the manufacturer's documentation and your local regulations first. Other than that, they belong in the yellow bin or yellow bag for packaging waste.

Different versions

The chips also come in different designs and colors. You will mostly find them in a box of 240 or 250 litres. The reason for this is that they are usually sold for larger companies. With a filling volume of 0.24 cbm, you are also usually offered a better price-performance ratio.

Some of the chips are also offered in a design other than the well-known S-shape, but this has no effect on the usability or the properties of the chips.

Versatility

This filling material made of starch can also be used in many ways. You can use it to securely pack different goods or just to store them, and you can also use the chips purely as filling material when you send several small items in a larger box. Since the chips are also particularly light, they are also well suited for smaller packages without making them too heavy.

Robust & resistant

Despite their natural origin, the packaging chips made of starch are also very resistant and can thus withstand even a higher weight without any problems. They therefore have a high resilience. Nevertheless, care is taken during production to give them a particularly airy texture, which makes them very flexible and gentle on sensitive surfaces. This means that glass objects, for example, can be placed directly on the plant-based packaging chips without additional protection.

Advantages and disadvantages of different filling materials

Besides starch filling material, there are other natural - but also artificial packaging materials, which are examined below.

Paper

In principle, paper is well suited as a packaging material, as it can be recycled via common collection systems.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam is mainly used for sensitive goods. It is a light and versatile material and is also insulating. The disadvantage, however, is that due to the larger amount of air in the material, a larger storage space is necessary, which leads to correspondingly higher costs. Loose polystyrene would be an alternative, but is more difficult to handle.

Organic filling material

Whether made from corn starch, potato starch or even wheat starch - starch based filling material offers the most advantages. It can easily be disposed of and in some cases even composted - if noted by the manufacturer, so check the product description.

Starch packaging chips - FAQ

The following questions and answers are about organic corn packaging chips, their production and use.

How is the starch chips filling material for your package produced?

During production, the plant starch is first extracted from the maize. Incidentally, this process is the same for all organic chips made from plant starch, and thus also for those made from potato starch or wheat starch. The starch is then mixed with water, ethanol and dough. This paste is pressed through an extruder nozzle and then given its shape. The manufacturing process does not require any additional gases and there is no need for a well-known anti-static bath, as is the case with many other materials. The reason for this is that the plant starch cannot become electrostatically charged. Due to its ingredients, the corn starch packaging can then be disposed of via industrial composting - provided the manufacturer explicitly declares this.

How do you recognise plant-based packaging chips?

On the outside, corn starch packaging chips resemble those made of plastic or Styrofoam. In terms of colour and shape, there are usually no differences either. The only way to tell which material it is is to test it. Simply put one of the organic corn packaging chips in some liquid. If it is plant-based starch, you will get a mush within a few seconds, because the ingredients will liquefy again. If the shape of the chip remains, it is a different material. You could also try burning a corner of the chip with a lighter. Plastic will melt a bit accordingly. The corn packaging chips made from plant starch will not melt, of course, but instead will lightly coagulate and smell similar to popcorn.

How can I dispose of starch chips?

The starch packaging material can usually be put in the organic waste bin for industrial composting if the manufacturer declares it compostable. To be sure, check the manufacturer's documentation and your local regulations first. Otherwise, it belongs in the yellow bin or yellow bag for packaging waste.

Can corn starch packaging be reused?

If you store them properly, you can use them again and again. Of course, you should keep in mind that it should be stored away from heat and moisture. Otherwise, the chips may crumble or simply melt. However, they cannot become "old". As far as their texture is concerned, however, they are particularly robust and at the same time flexible and therefore do not break quickly.

In which colours is starch filling material available?

Even though maize is yellow, starch packaging material is available in many different colours. The starch itself is actually white by nature, so other colourings can be added to the chips. However, these have no effect on the function and only serve to enhance the appearance. If you use both organic starch packaging chips and plastic packaging chips, it is advisable to buy both in different colours: This way they can be easily distinguished and you can dispose of them separately without having to test which material they are.

Does organic packaging material need to be stored in a special way?

If you use starch chips as a filler material for your packaging, just make sure that you place the chips in a dry and cool place so that they do not get wet due to moisture. Exposure to heat could cause them to crumble. Otherwise, these chips can be stored just like synthetic filling material. For animals in the household, it should additionally be remembered that they are likely to be attracted by the smell of the chips and then consume them.