Manufacturing of Biodegradable Cushion Packaging Material Using Compound Properties of Chicken Feather and Cornstarch as Alternative to Expanded Polystyrene Foam

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam is one of many internal packaging materials used worldwide, and the most well-known is Styrofoam. Approximately 2.3 million tons of polystyrene wind up in landfills around the world annually. Meanwhile, chicken feather wastes are significant biomass waste contributors in the Philippines. Studies discovered that chicken feather wastes can be regarded as one of the best raw materials while cornstarch can be used as a natural, biodegradable binding ingredient. The researchers developed a biodegradable cushion packaging alternative to EPS using chicken feathers and cornstarch. Various testing procedures have been conducted to evaluate the strength, durability, and performance of the product. The result showed that the optimal proportion of the raw materials were 18.9% chicken feather, 75.6% cornstarch, 5% combination of glycerin and polyethylene glycol, and 0.5% of ammonium bicarbonate.