Re Agreement

Stanelco PLC 30 August 2005 30 August 2005 Stanelco PLC ('Stanelco' or 'the Company') Supply Agreement with NatureWorks LLC Stanelco, the radio frequency (RF) applications Group, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a supply agreement with NatureWorks LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill Inc. The agreement covers the supply of NatureWorks PLA, (Polylactide, a starch derivative), which is the largest component of Stanelco's recently announced Starpol 2000TM range of biodegradable, compostable plastic materials. This relationship will materially assist commercialisation of Starpol 2000TM into Stanelco's target application segments and it is planned that a minimum of 15,000 tonnes of Starpol 2000TM will be produced and sold within the next 12 months. Starpol 2000TM is available in a range of blends that can be formed into sheet material for products such as short shelf-life food trays, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) trays and blown films for a diverse range of products including carrier bags, compost bags, waste bags and agricultural films Howard White, president of Stanelco Inc and Stanelco PLC group managing director said: 'This is a landmark agreement that further demonstrates the materials created by Biotec are both ground breaking and commercial.. We have been actively carrying out pre-production runs of the material with a number of major corporations in both the Europe and North America. Starpol 2000TM has demonstrated a functionality far beyond any other current biodegradable alternative and at an overall cost that is competitive with the existing plastics used in our target market, namely food packaging. We are also in trials with our partners for several variations of the material to be used for a number of applications such as shopping bags, waste bags and a variety of general packaging usages. Just as importantly, the material is also easily sealable with our GREENSEALTM technology project which continues, to progress well and which will enable us to offer a complete biodegradable, environmentally responsible packaging solution at a competitive cost' Snehal Desai, NatureWorks LLC Commercial Vice President said: 'We are delighted with the diversity, functionality and competitiveness of the Starpol 2000TM range of products and believe the marketplace will welcome this broad extension of offerings of NatureWorks PLA based materials.' - ends - For further information please contact: Ian Balchin, Chief Executive Stanelco PLC Tel: +44 (0)2380 867 100 Jonathon Brill/Billy Clegg Financial Dynamics Tel: +44 (0)20 7831 3113 About Stanelco plc The Stanelco Group of companies (the Group) has brought together expertise in radio frequency (RF) technology, RF applications and biodegradable material sciences to create a revolutionary range of packaging technologies. Stanelco's philosophy is that new products and processes must offer solutions and applications which: • give higher added value, • are greener, more environmentally sustainable than those they replace • and have protectable intellectual property rights. Stanelco will develop the products and processes to a demonstration stage and then work with partners in order to reach the markets; and under these circumstances Stanelco will usually seek to license its technology. Stanelco invests considerable time and resources in ensuring its technologies are protected via layers of patents wherever possible. In this way Stanelco believes it can minimise commercial risk and preserve the highest value for shareholders. The products offering the prospect of near term revenue generation are being given priority over the Group's resources. Stanelco was founded in 1953 and is a world leader in the development of radio frequency technologies for processing polymers for edible and packaging applications and the design and manufacture of optical fibre technology, induction heating and dielectric welding equipment. Stanelco's Current developments include GREENSEAL Food tray lidding technology, STARPOL (starch / pva blended material), FrogPack high impact low cost packaging format, CradleWrap range of biodegradable air cushion packaging, Soluble tape, 100% water-soluble films and adhesives, Biodegradable Airbag (void fill) packaging, water-soluble detergent capsules, edible sachets and waste packing. GREENSEAL, STARPOL, Frog Pack and CradleWrap are all trademarks of the Stanelco plc group. The acquisition of Biotec Holdings GmbH and its subsidiaries remains subject to shareholder approval at an EGM on 30th August 2005. About NatureWorks LLC Based in Minnetonka, Minn., USA, NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available polymers derived 100 percent from annually renewable resources with cost and performance that compete with petroleum-based packaging materials and fibers. The company applies its unique technology to the processing of natural plant sugars to create a proprietary polylactide polymer, which is marketed under the NatureWorks(R) PLA and IngeoTM fiber brand names. NatureWorks is a registered trademark of NatureWorks LLC. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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