Eco-Innovation: Corn Stover as the Biomaterial in Packaging Designs

Shandong, China’s largest agricultural province, generates a massive amount of agricultural waste each year, with corn stover being the predominant type. Although current agricultural waste management primarily involves sustainable practices carried out by professional companies, this study seeks to explore a simpler, more accessible method of handling stover waste. Guided by positivist theory and several experiments, a formula was developed, primarily composed of corn stover powder and natural substances such as glycerin. In this process, we designed and implemented four control experimental groups with water as the quantity used to investigate the influence of different material content in the formula. The resultant material was then subjected to property analyses, including tests on colouration, toughness, etc. Ultimately, the material was applied in a small-scale test as a raw material for an agricultural product packaging design. The study, rooted in sustainability, environmental protection, and the establishment of a local circular economy, fills the gap in current research of lacking design knowledge interventions.