Abstract Plastic pollution has become one of the main causes of irreversible damages to the environment. Despite the well-known adverse effects, the lack of culture in recycling is causing overcrowded landfills with tons of this disposable material. Developing new products is necessary to replace plastics with eco-friendly materials, in this way, biopolymers are a suitable alternative. Biopolymer synthesis requires a natural polymer known as starch, which is a common compound in roots, tubers, fruits, cereals and aquatic plants. In the present work, we study different solid organic wastes such as cassava, potatoes, plantain, corn and two types of algae Elodea Canadensis and Myriophyllum Quítense , in order to discover its feasibility as starch sources. For this purpose, we established an extraction method taking into account the main structure of each organic waste. By means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and iodine test, we obtained the chemical structures and principal characteristics of each starch. Synthesized powders exhibited characteristics of thermoplastic starches making them available for its potential use in biopolymers.