Chickpea Starch-Alginate Films: Sustainable Edible Packaging Alternative Lexi Hoeft, Md Rahim Badsha, Chukwuebuka Ozoude, Khwaja Hossain Division of Science & Mathematics, Mayville State University, Mayville, ND 58257 Edible and biodegradable polymer films offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. In this study, films were prepared from chickpea starch (CPS), sodium alginate (SA), and glycerol following the solution casting method. We developed a 1:1:3 CPS: SA formulation containing 5 wt% CaCl₂ to improve film performance through ionic crosslinking. FTIR confirmed interactions among CPS, SA, and calcium ions, while SEM showed a relatively homogeneous and compact structure. The optimized film showed improved thermal stability. It exhibited a tensile strength of 13 MPa, elongation at break of 300%, Young’s modulus of 10 MPa, and transparency of 2.3/mm. These results indicate a useful balance of strength, flexibility, thermal stability, and barrier performance. Although edibility and safety were not experimentally evaluated, all film components are edible and generally recognized as safe. Therefore, the films show potential for sustainable packaging applications.