I hate it when I go to a restaurant and the server delivers my drink with a straw.

Most folks don’t need straws – or single-use plastics in general – but we use them anyway, because someone hands them to us. (And yes, I understand some people need straws because of coordination or medical issues. That’s fine.)

I avoid straws and other single-use plastics when I can, which is most of the time. Plastics are filling up trash dumps, washing up on beaches and breaking into tiny bits that, ultimately, wind up inside our bodies as microplastics.

Corn Next has launched CornNext-17, a biobased material aimed at addressing the issue of plastic pollution.

Drawn from renewable corn starch, CornNext-17 leverages a patented fermentation process and has rapid decomposition capabilities.

According to the company, CornNext-17 serves as a sustainable solution that retains the natural polysaccharide structure of corn starch, allowing for complete biodegradation within 30 days in natural settings.

The company also claimed that its material maintains the necessary mechanical properties for a broad spectrum of uses, from packaging to consumer goods and industrial components.

CornNext-17 serves as an alternative to conventional plastics and bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA).

The product comes with the potential to ‘transform’ various industries, encouraging them to shift towards more sustainable materials.

The CornNext-17 White Paper, released alongside the product launch, provides an in-depth look at the material’s characteristics.

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.

In California, Corn Next, a company developing biobased materials based on corn starch, has launched a plastics alternative that fully biodegrades in 30 days.

Dubbed CornNext-18, the material’s mechanical properties make it suitable for several applications, including consumer goods, packaging, agriculture, medical supplies, automotive, and electronics.

“CornNext-17 represents a significant leap forward in sustainable materials,” Randy Yongzhong Zhang, Founder and CEO of Corn Next, said in a press statement. “We are proud to offer a solution that addresses the urgent need for environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastics. This innovation marks a critical milestone in our pursuit of a greener future.”

The company is actively seeking partnerships with industry leaders and organizations to accelerate the material’s adoption.

Corn Next, a leader in sustainable innovation and biodegradable solutions, has officially launched CornNext-17, a game-changing bio-based material designed to combat the global plastic pollution crisis. 

Derived from renewable corn starch, CornNext-17 utilizes a patented fermentation-based process to create a fully biodegradable material with superior versatility and performance. Unlike traditional plastics and bio-plastics such as PLA and PHA, CornNext-17 retains its natural polysaccharide structure, enabling rapid decomposition within 30 days in natural environments while maintaining the mechanical properties necessary for diverse applications.