The dominant source of starch used for bioplastics is corn in North America,  the grain which is grown and harvested in the greatest volume in the USA and Mexico.  Because of the growing demand for corn by the bio-fuel industry there is an increasing pressure to develop new sources for plastic starch.

Potato, which is abundant especially in Canada, seems to be an ideal choice to replace corn based starch. Below is an excerpt* from CanPlastics Magazine, where Dr Liu, the head of the Canadian research initiative for potato starch explains the properties and potential applications of the potato based bio-plastics.

“The potato starch by-product is already used by used by the food processing industry as a general thickener, binder, texturizer, and anti-caking or gelling agent. It’s also used in yeast filtration, and as additives in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. All of these characteristics, researchers believe, add up to make it an ideal component for a new generation of bioplastics.

According to Dr. Liu, the potato starch is converted into a plastic-like resin that can be heated and shaped into a variety of products through an injection molding process. The resulting material is completely degradable by composting and is an excellent material for food packaging because it allows the food to breathe. “Food packaging made with a blend of potato, wheat and tapioca starch has proven durable enough to be baked in an oven and heated in a microwave, and a few companies have already started selling these bioplastics in Canada,” he continued.”

Our plastic converting lines are designed to process bioplatics very well. Our extruders and bag making machines have regularly used for processing bioplastics both by our client and our own showcase factory in Vancouver BC.

*Source: CanPlastics Magazine