Largest bioplastic facility in the world announced

Cereplast (OTCBB: CERP), a leading maker of proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastics, today announced a new facility in Seymour, Indiana that is to add half a billion pounds a year to the company's production capacity.

Operations are to start at the site in January of 2008, with full development scheduled for early 2010.

Cereplast plans to begin hiring managers, supervisors, extrusion operators, warehouse specialists and maintenance technicians within the next few weeks.

The site is to ultimately employ up to 200 full-time staff as the world’s largest bio-plastic resin production facility, the company said.

An existing industrial building on a 12 acre campus is being augmented by additional buildings, scheduled for completion in early 2009.

Rail service will help accommodate large quantities of raw materials and finished goods intended to move through the complex.

The company’s product line includes compostable plastics, as well as Biopropolyene™, a sustainable polypropylene.

Biopropylene replaces 50 percent or more of the petroleum-based content of conventional plastic resins with renewable resources such as cornstarch, tapioca or other starches, according to the company.

“Companies are attracted to the fact that [our] resins have nearly the same physical characteristics and price points as traditional polyolefins, while plastics manufacturers immediately appreciate that they can process the bio-based resins on conventional equipment,” said Fredrick Scheer, CEO and President of Cereplast.

The new facility is to complement Cereplast’s current manufacturing operation in Hawthorne, Calif.

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