AerTerra on WGN Radio: Corn-Based Air Filters for Clean Air

We're thrilled to share that AerTerra was featured on WGN Radio's "The Business of Food with Steve Alexander," where our co-founder Mike Malloy discussed how we're replacing petroleum-based HVAC filters with renewable alternatives made from Midwest corn.

From Problem to Solution

The story of AerTerra began with two pressing problems: the COVID-19 pandemic and the wildfire smoke that settled over Chicago. Co-founders Mike Malloy and Curtis Firestone were searching for sustainable ways to make indoor air healthier, and that search led them to an innovative solution using one of America's most abundant crops—corn.

The Process: Turning Corn into Clean Air

In the interview, Mike explained how AerTerra uses polylactic acid (PLA) derived from field corn—the same corn grown across millions of acres throughout the Midwest—to create high-performance air filter fibers. This process transforms a renewable agricultural product into filters that match or exceed the performance of traditional fiberglass and petroleum-based alternatives.

A Sustainable Difference

What sets AerTerra filters apart isn't just what they're made from, but what happens after they've done their job. Unlike traditional filters made from fiberglass and petroleum products, AerTerra filters made from corn are compostable, turning a typically disposable household product into one that returns to the earth.

Recognition and Availability

Our commitment to innovation and sustainability has been recognized at the highest levels. AerTerra won the National Corn Growers Association's "Consider Corn Challenge 2025" for creating this new use for field corn, demonstrating the agricultural sector's confidence in our mission.

AerTerra filters are available direct to your home through our website in an assortment of sizes and MERV filtration performance levels, making it easy to improve your indoor air quality while supporting American agriculture and reducing your environmental footprint.

Listen to the full interview: How Midwest corn can help you breathe easier - WGN Radio

Shop AerTerra filters: aer-terra.com

Featured on "The Business of Food with Steve Alexander," WGN Radio 720 AM, January 24, 2026.