CORN NEXT

06/03/2026

A small line in a certification process stayed with the team this week. Before the company's drinking straw could be certified, the laboratory had to work through technical challenges in applying its testing technique to a bio-based polymer beyond cellulose. That detail matters. Corn Next Drinking Straws have now been certified under the Flustix LESS PLASTICS scheme at its highest tier: MIN. 99.8% PLASTIC-FREE. The assessment was issued through Kiwa as an independent third party. Of course, independent verification matters. But what stayed with the team was something deeper: the difficulty of measurement.

When a material does not fit easily into existing categories, it often means one of two things. Either something entirely new has been created, or there has been a return to something our modern systems have forgotten how to recognize. For Corn Next, it is the latter. Natural polysaccharide materials are not new. Nature has used them to build structure — and return it safely to the earth — for as long as life has existed. What is new is choosing to make everyday products from them again, and building the testing, certification, and language needed to recognize them as their own category — not as a slightly better bioplastic.

This is what is meant by material literacy. There is a real difference between replacing fossil feedstock, reinventing synthetic polymers, and returning to natural materials. That difference is not marketing. It eventually appears in the lab, in the certification process, and in the language used to describe the material. A straw is a small thing. The question it raised this week is much bigger: Are our systems ready to recognize materials that are not trying to be plastic at all?

Natureal™ · 自然而然™

Nature, naturally.

06/01/2026

The “before” doesn’t have to be our future. Every traditional plastic straw and disposable utensils from your past is still out there somewhere, breaking down into harmful microplastics. We engineered a better choice 🌎🌽

05/28/2026

Every few weeks, we get asked: "Is CornNext-17 certified home-compostable? Do you have BPI or TÜV?"

Many compostability certifications were designed for a specific generation of materials: bioplastics and compostable polymers — PLA, PHA, starch-polyester blends, and other engineered materials made to behave like plastic, then break down under defined conditions.

CornNext-17 begins from a different place.

Our third-party testing shows approximately 98% biological content and 2% minerals. No synthetic polymers. No petrochemical plasticizers. No PLA. No PHA. No resin.

We also conducted a 35-day natural degradation test with the Food College of Nanchang University under simulated natural environmental conditions. The results showed no detectable release of heavy metals or harmful volatile compounds, and concluded that the corn-starch straw could naturally degrade without releasing toxic or harmful components.

The question shouldn't be "Did it pass a plastic-era certification?"

Instead, we should ask: "When this product is no longer useful, can the Earth genuinely take it back without leaving pollution behind?"

05/27/2026

What an incredible week in Chicago! The Corn Next team is heading home inspired after connecting with forward-thinking chefs, operators, and industry leaders at McCormick Place 💛🌽

We loved showcasing our flavored straws—especially our new cutlery prototypes!—and proving that true sustainability never has to sacrifice performance.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to test products and talk strategy. We look forward to turning these inspiring conversations into long-term partnerships.

👉 Ready to follow up? DM us—let’s collaborate!

05/26/2026

We are pleased to announce that Corn Next has been featured in an exclusive interview with Authority Magazine.

Reflecting on the technical discipline, patience, and rigorous development that built our corporate foundation, CEO Randy Zhang shares a perspective on our journey and commitment to true sustainability:

"In the piece, I shared a rarely discussed aspect of founding Corn Next: that long period of "silence." During those early years, while the market rushed to chase short-term fixes like "modified plastics," we chose a much more arduous path. We bypassed those quick, compromise-heavy trends and dedicated ourselves entirely to developing a truly natural material. We focused our engineering on a pure, fiber-based polysaccharide substrate—one designed to completely return to nature without leaving microplastics behind, regardless of the environment.

Market recognition was slow to arrive, but that never meant our mission was misguided. True innovation requires shifting paradigms rather than just matching existing plastic infrastructure. As long as the direction is right, the world will eventually move forward at its own pace until it finally catches up to you.

Read the full interview here: https://medium.com/authority-magazine/randy-zhang-of-corn-next-5-things-i-wish-someone-told-me-before-i-became-a-founder-a110e0de3338"

An Interview With Gabriel Borden

05/13/2026

It’s time for materials to find their rightful place — in law, not only in theory.

For too long, plastic, bioplastics, paper, bamboo, wood, and agricultural biomaterials have all been grouped under the same environmental framework. But these materials are fundamentally different, and they should not be treated the same.

Plastic has an important role in durable applications like medical devices, infrastructure, electronics, and automobiles. The problem is not that plastic exists — it is that we continue using long-lasting materials for short-lived disposable products.

Bioplastics represent progress, but most still rely on polymer structures and industrial composting systems that are not widely available at scale. If recycling and industrial composting truly worked the way we often describe them, the global plastic pollution crisis would not continue growing. Most “recyclable” and “compostable” products never reach the facilities designed to process them.

This is why disposable products should come from materials that can safely return to nature without specialized infrastructure. Wood is not plastic. Bamboo is not plastic. Paper is not plastic. Natural agricultural biomaterials are not plastic. If a material comes from nature, preserves its biological structure, contains no petrochemical polymer, and returns safely to the earth without microplastics, it deserves its own legal identity.

CornNext-17 was created from this belief. Using corn starch, water, and natural enzymes, we focused on preserving natural polysaccharide structures — not creating another plastic. A material from the earth should be able to return to the earth naturally.

Innovation alone is not enough. The legal system must evolve alongside material science. Natural agricultural biomaterials deserve their own category, recognition, and pathway forward.

04/30/2026

Wrapping up an incredible two days at the Rethinking Materials summit (April 28-29) at the Hilton London Bankside! 🇬🇧 It was a privilege to represent Corn Next and connect with global leaders focused on scaling circular systems and designing out waste. From bio-based alternatives to sustainable packaging, the future of materials is looking bright! 🌽✨

04/29/2026

Today, Dr. Chen, Chief Scientist at Corn Next, spoke at the Rethinking Materials London.

His message was clear. Sustainable materials must perform in real-world conditions.

Many “degradable” materials still depend on industrial composting, which is not widely available. As a result, they can remain in the environment or contribute to microplastics.

Corn Next chose a different path.

CornNext-17 is made from non-food-grade corn starch, water, and natural enzymes. No PLA. No petrochemicals. No plastic-based polymers.

By preserving its natural structure, the material is designed to break down in soil, seawater, and ambient composting without harmful residue. It is also compatible with existing manufacturing processes and supports applications such as disposable tableware, straws, and packaging.

After eight years of development, we are now in commercial production, with USDA BioPreferred certification and international patents.

We are not replacing all plastics. We are focused on single-use products that should not last for centuries.

CornNext-17 is not a bioplastic.
It is a natural material for the next generation of disposable products.

04/28/2026

Recap: Corn Next at The Grant 🍸✨
Earth Day done right. From the packed bar to the flavor-infused sips, here’s a look at our night taking over Glassell Park.
📍 Missed it? We left our remaining stock with Danny—go try them for yourself before they run out!

🔗 Read the full story: https://www.cornnext.com/blog/flavor-tech-and-a-packed-house-our-earth-day-takeover-at-the-grant

⁠

04/25/2026

From cups to fireworks: what we built this week. 🌽✨

We reached two major breakthroughs this week in two industries that couldn’t be more different.

First, we produced an injection-molded disposable cup made entirely from our natural material. We achieved a wall thickness on par with a paper cup while keeping the material flexible and durable. Most importantly, it holds water for 25 minutes with no chemical coating and no waterproof treatment. We are still refining the details, but the core is proven that the material works.

Second, we developed a fully natural firework shell. For decades, firework casings have been made of plastic. Every launch scatters fragments across fields, rivers, and forests where they are never collected. Many countries now prohibit plastic for this exact reason. We built an alternative that performs perfectly and fully degrades wherever it lands.

Two products. Two industries. One material.

What excites me most isn't just the products themselves. It is what they represent. At Corn Next, we are not here to "improve" plastic. We are here to replace it in the places where it never belonged.

Are you looking for a high-performance, natural alternative for your industry? Let’s connect and explore what is possible.