Sweden's Billerud Tenova Bioplastics teams up with Massachusetts-based Telles to use Mirel biobased film grade P5001 for new line of compostable bags, packaging solutions for European market

Alison Gallant

LOWELL, Massachusetts , July 26, 2011 (press release) – Telles, a joint venture of Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLX) and Archer Daniels Midland Company, today announced that it has teamed with Billerud Tenova Bioplastics AB, a recognized film converter, to launch a new commercial line of biobased film solutions. Tenova will use Mirel™ P5001, a compostable, high biobased film grade resin, to develop and introduce a new line of compostable bags and packaging solutions across Europe.

    “Our customers want to help eliminate organics from municipal waste streams while providing more sustainable end-of-life options for these materials”

The compostable film market continues to grow at rapid rates, driven by brand owners and retailers that are motivated by increasing regulatory requirements and consumer demands for biobased bags and packaging that offer alternate disposal options such as anaerobic digestion. For instance, in Sweden, where Tenova is headquartered, biogas generation is a critical and growing component of the country’s renewable energy infrastructure. Mirel P5001 is suitable for backyard home compost as well as anaerobic digestion, enabling Tenova to address this growing market demand across Europe.

“Our customers want to help eliminate organics from municipal waste streams while providing more sustainable end-of-life options for these materials,” said Staffan Strömberg, CEO of Tenova Bioplastics. “By combining the experience of the Telles technical team with our product development skills, we are using the most advanced bioplastics materials to deliver new applications that meet the growing demand for compostable film solutions. Our customers will benefit from a new line of compostable bags and packaging solutions that provide superior performance while addressing existing problems with waste management, organics disposal and hygiene.”

Mirel P5001 was tested to ASTM D7081 standard specification for biodegradation in marine environment by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) in Natick, Massachusetts and the conclusion was made that Mirel P5001 is fully marine biodegradable. Organics Waste Systems (OWS), Belgium, tested P5001 per ASTM D5511 standard test method for anaerobic biodegradation and found that it achieved 100 percent biodegradation in 15 days. Mirel P5001 is also BPI certified to ASTM D6400 and Vinçotte certified to EN 13432 standards for compostable plastics, Vinçotte certified for OK Soil Biodegradable in natural soil and OK Water Biodegradable in fresh water.

In addition to its biodegradability and high biobased content, Tenova selected the Mirel P5001 film grade resin because it has good puncture toughness, tear resistance and seal strength, good printability, and is shelf stable. It processes on both cast and blown film extruder lines.

About Billerud Tenova Bioplastics AB

Tenova Bioplastics was founded in 2003 to develop and deliver bioplastics materials that reduce the total environmental impact of packaging. All our products are biodegradable and contain renewable raw materials. Together with our partners, we develop new materials and products for applications such as food packaging, hygiene, agriculture, building material packaging and waste management for customers around the world. Tenova Bioplastics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Billerud, a leading packaging paper company listed on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm Stock Exchange. For information visit www.tenova.com.

About Mirel Bioplastics

Mirel is a family of bioplastic materials that have physical properties comparable to petroleum-based resins, yet are biobased and biodegradable in natural soil and water environments, in home composting systems, and in industrial composting facilities where such facilities are available. The rate and extent of Mirel’s biodegradability will depend on the size and shape of the articles made from it. However, like nearly all bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel is not designed to biodegrade in conventional landfills.

Commercial grades of Mirel are available for injection molding, thermoforming, sheet extrusion and film applications. For more information please visit www.mirel.com.

About Metabolix

Founded in 1992, Metabolix, Inc. is an innovation-driven bioscience company focused on providing sustainable solutions for the world’s needs for plastics, chemicals and energy. The Company is taking a systems approach, from gene to end product, integrating sophisticated biotechnology with advanced industrial practice. Metabolix is now developing and commercializing Mirel™, a family of high performance bioplastics which are biobased and biodegradable alternatives to many petroleum-based plastics, through Telles, a joint venture of Metabolix and Archer Daniels Midland Company. Metabolix is also developing biosourced industrial chemicals and a proprietary platform technology for co-producing plastics, chemicals and energy, from crops such as switchgrass, oilseeds and sugarcane.

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