StarchTech, Inc.
720 Florida Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55426
(800) 597-7225 (PACK)
sti@starchtech.com
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From Loose Fill to Solid Solution
Composting Corn-Based Peanuts
By Sharell Benson
November, 2007
Working towards a complete, closed cycle–from corn to "peanuts" to corn again (when composted).
Chemical engineer and CEO Ed Boehmer had a vision in 1996 to produce ecologically superior packing 'peanuts' as an alternative to other transport cushioning products that were piling up in landfills at the end of their trip. Marketed as the 'Packing Peanuts that Saved the World,' StarchTech's products may do just that.
The green technology, naturally static-free qualities, ease of use, and biodegradability have attracted customers as far away as Australia, Italy, and Belgium–countries ahead of the U.S. in mandating sustainable packaging technologies. The environmentally friendly peanuts dissolve in water or can be composted, unlike the more common polystyrene foam peanuts.
Filling in the back story
Puffed peanuts are either bagged or shipped in bulk and the pellet version which resembles a flattened rice grain is a pre-finished form of a peanut. The main benefit of the pellet is that it is economical to ship internationally." Transporting compressed pellets saves energy and warehousing space, and can be produced on demand by the distributor," according to Dean Bartels, general manager at StarchTech." The distribution of pellets vs. expanded peanuts is what has really taken off."
Pallet loads are shipped to distributors who have made a minimal capital investment in an extruder. Peanuts are puffed from the pellets using the special extruder that heats the starch mixture and acts like a giant air popper to puff the product into an I-shaped interlocking peanut for packaging and transport applications. The product and the process are environmentally friendly. The pellets are simply puffed and bagged as needed without an operator required to supervise the extruder. This process carries none of the concern for airborne toxins or other health risks associated with the production of petroleum-based loose fill. The only end product is simply water released as steam.
For more than 10 years, StarchTech has commercialized a plant-based starch technology that focuses on the principle that cushioning products can be both environmentally and economically sound. The product is made from a renewable resource (corn), is biodegradable, and does not utilize any harmful chemicals such as pentane. It also doesn't employ greenhouse gasses in its processes. Gasses such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or hydrocarbons are commonly used currently as blowing agents for petroleum-based polystyrene products. Starch-based loose fill offers all of the advantages people are looking for–it is both economical and environmentally preferable, uses less energy for production, is 100% biodegradable, and is not harmful if children or pets "taste" it.
"The higher petroleum prices go, the more economical our starch based products become; our plant-based materials will always be available," says Ed Boehmer, StarchTech's CEO. "The greatest benefit for our customers is that our prices will remain stable over the long run." The safe peanuts can either be reused or thrown in a home composter to complete a closed loop life-cycle. Being environmentally friendly matters to their customers, and it is showing up on their bottom line. In the last few years, the market share for biodegradable peanuts has climbed to 20% of the total packing peanut market, steadily eating away at the petroleum version's market share.
Sharell Benson is a Minnesota-based consultant specializing in sustainable packaging development and marketing.
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