A series of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/starch films were cast by the solvent method. Mechanical, optical, wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and biodegradation studies of starch-filled PVA films were carried out. With the addition of starch there was an increase in haze and diffusion of light, whereas there was only slight change associated with tensile behavior and burst strength of the PVA film. Microstructural parameters, such as crystal size () and lattice distortion (g, in %) were estimated using one-dimensional Hosemann's paracrystalline model along with WAXS data. These parameters quantify the changes in the PVA/starch systems, which resulted in the observed physical properties. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.