for more information about stanelco click on the links.

driver's research page link
http://www.moneyam.com/InvestorsRoom/posts.php?tid=7681#lastread
website link
http://www.stanelco.co.uk/index.htm

Hey; another enjoyable catch-up; good to see Mr PM bite the dust - we must look out for him to reappear under another name. Interesting that its quite difficult for someone to change his style - does a dog change its spots, I ask; glad my own posts are nothing like PMs so will give sd a good hiding when I see him; by the way you tend to see a lot of squashed dogs by the roadside here.

Distance lends objectivity so they say. You could see the logic of oblomov and sham's sales around 18p as the upper trend line was tested. Bit surprised to see sham in at 15+p; ii (less objectionable recently, note) more likely to be right that we are still trading in the downward channel. Would have thought sd would have called a double bottom (hate the idea of a single bottom anyway). Alan asks the pertinent question whether trading has taken over from the fundamentals - I would have thought that the fundamentalists, like me, went mad and took the sp too high based on projections of greenseal, OK-founded on plausible figures from Evo and Peel Hunt, and since then the traders have had a field day. I'm sitting here trying to learn, well taking the sun and watching the girls and flowers as well. With a virtual pot, I think I would have been in with baza and out with sham, switching to a short (yes!) to match the shorts weather, possibly closing that about now and waiting for a further fall before coming back in. Baza of course has a lot of experience what with understanding level2 and being 95 years old today and therefore older than me. Happy birthday, too, to driver who is 15 today (15 months that is) from that lovely gooey picture of her.

I am appreciating charts a bit more in my old age,particularly double bottoms and those double tops with added curvature. But I will repeat my view is that the range on fundamentals is a cap of 100 to 150m (thats 75-100 for greenseal) and 25m to 50m for Starpol and an sp of 11p to 16p and that the channel needs to turn horizontal before retracing. I suspect that only signifiant news or rumours of news will change that. I also suspect that it will take until 2006 for that news to come through when I believe it will.

Eric

Clear as mud now.
Can anyone interprate this. Does this mean that Walmart are using Starpol they have bought from NW, who are supplied by SEO, and if so, is this the increased production / order that was in an RNS a few weeks ago.
Thanks for the posting PHart.
Alan

This would seem to be NW own brand PLA, not Starpol Alan.

Thanks for that Bema. Got confused because the article only mentions packaging for fruit and veg and it was something of a coincidence that that is all starpol has FDA approval for.
Alan

Alan: This is not Starpol. NW are supplying Starpol who are servicing parts of the amrket that NW cannot reach with their nproduct. Must be the case that NW will be cheaper if other ingredients not needed (presumably to allow 'microwabability'). But this is a very significant step forward for WM and takes them in teh direction of Greenseal and Starpol - just needs time; my point above.

Eric

I assume that as the foods mentioned were not microwaveable or MAP packaged Starpol would have had little advantage over NW standard PLA.

Please correct me if i have this wrong anyone.

Think Bema and I have read it the same way - you have a great mind, bema!

Oh dear me!
Alan writing "PHart" makes me realise I have been mispronouncing "Phart" all these months - and I just thought he had just misspelled it! LOL

Tony, lol, me too !

Mind his input, I mean output, is a lot more positive, potentially aromatic, than most pharts!

He hasn't replied so perhaps I'm wrong and the 68 refers to his age. That would make him an old phart.
Alan

Re the post, OMG - oil price falling - oil everywhere .

Has anyone known the price of oil to be constant, or always in a rise. After every price hike, within a few weeks the price invariably drops. As to oil everywhere, winter is almost upon us, and oil requirements in most of Europe, and many parts of the USA increase fairly drastically. Oil is not never ending, even if Iraq comes fully on stream. The time for the development and bringing none oil based production on line is now. Those that get in latter are those that will pay the higher price.
IMHO Asda have called it right by getting in on the ground floor, others will soon be trying to catch up. Many companies are perhaps allowing Asda to be the company that trial it for others, be it in a none official way.

Does anyone know if Greenseal is going to be used in conjunction with Walmarts decision to go with Natureworks material ???

Have i got this right ..Stanelco produce Starpol but in order to do so they have to buy in raw ingredients from Natureworks ??

Jaguer2,

As greenseal, and starpol can work in conjunction with each other ( natureworks ) I would think it almost inevitable that if walmart come on board with greenseal, the link with natureworks will be automatic. Obviously no one knows for sure.

jaguar, seo buy the main ingrediant , pla , from nw.

"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. "

Hi Alan (et al),

Can not take credit for the post, it came courtesy of PM1.
I email him a few days ago re: T&G note, and appear to have been placed on a mailing list of sorts where he send out his findings, as I have seen other emails from him posted elsewhere. I just happened to check my email at the right time.
If you want to join the list then you will find his post containing his email address back on page 571, just before things went a bit pear-shaped! I sure he would love to hear from most here.

Anyway, looking good for a tie-up with NatureWorks for RF-sealing microwaveable WallMart MAP foodstuffs eh, don't you think?

Not worried.

P68

NATUREWORKS PRODUCT NOT SO GOOD

Check this out From below article:

Natureworks PLA is not recyclable here either, but has the advantage of being potentially biodegradable. In March we advised you to just throw the product on your home compost heap. We now realize that PLA only biodegrades at higher temperatures than those of a typical compost, requiring incineration or shipment to a special facility (the closest one is in Ohio)

My understanding Starpol is totally compostable and does not need to be taken to a special incinerator, therefore using current Natureworks PLA Blends is more expensive than Starpol. I think possibly Natureworks may license the IPR of Starpol from SEO and buy the product off of Biotec.


Bloomingnews - May 2005
NatureWorks PLA: Evaluating Deli Packaging Options
Ellen Michel , Bloomingnews Editor
Some products, like bananas, eggs, whole grains, and breastmilk, come in attractive natural packaging. For everything else, there are "lesser of two or three evils" options, involving the use, abuse, or transformation of natural resources.
Co-ops have a tradition of being a marketplace oasis for unprocessed foods; that is part of what we do. At the same time that our customers ask for the real/simple, we live in a world that is increasingly complex. Most people no longer "put up" their own food, and many of us find it difficult to even cook our own beans. Still, we share strategies for saving time and trying to reduce our impact on the environment. Its an ongoing challenge, involving compromise.
Like other natural food co-ops across the country, both the board and staff are committed to evaluating our operations at Bloomingfoods in order to try to integrate the most earth-friendly options into our systems. In March, for that reason, we made a switch from petroleum-based packaging in our deli to a corn-based product known in the industry as NatureWorksPLA.
For the most part, our customers have been very enthusiastic about the new packaging, made from corn, a renewable resource. But the concerns of two member-owners encouraged us to look more closely at this product.
One of the things that bothered us most about our previous deli packaging is the fact that it is not recyclable in our community. Natureworks PLA is not recyclable here either, but has the advantage of being potentially biodegradable. In March we advised you to just throw the product on your home compost heap. We now realize that PLA only biodegrades at higher temperatures than those of a typical compost, requiring incineration or shipment to a special facility (the closest one is in Ohio). So keep those containers out of the home compost; they arent likely to decompose there.
There is one thing you can do to reduce their volume, however. If you put corntainers on the top shelf of your dishwasher, they shrink dramatically when washed. They can then be placed in the trash, where they take up less space than petroleum-based non-recyclable plastics.
Of course, there are other issues as well. NatureWorksPLA represents a new technology, entailing both benefits and risks. The biggest question concerns the source of the corn. It seems likely that the development of new plant-based technologies (for fabrics, plastics, paints, and other products) will encourage more monoculture, not less, as well as the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Cargill Dow, the company marketing this particular product, has a reputation for "greenwashing" that does not inspire trust.
Cargill Dow isnt the only company looking for alternatives to petrol packaging. Biocorp (and others) also make biodegradable containers, using similar kinds of technology. What would be the impact of these biodegradable products at large events such as the Olympics, or at sports arenas, where the scale of use is so immense? At what point does consumer demand create more facilities for recycling and breaking down old matter, instead of just adding it to the trash stream? If organic corn is used, how does the picture change?
We believe that the longterm benefits and costs of PLA technology are currently difficult to assess. Our challenge is to try to evaluate the them in relation to many other health and environmental issues, while continuing to communicate our concerns to the powerful players who have the money to develop these products. Thats where we may have an impact.
One thing we know for sure at the co-op is that customers appreciate our deli prepared foods. Many people depend on them, especially when running to a pitch-in dinner or heading home in the evening. For students and people downtown, they often represent a healthy fresh-cooked meal, to be carried back to the office or dorm.
It has been helpfully suggested that we make our prepared foods available only in reusable glass, and so we carefully explored the feasibility of that. We spoke with the Health Department, as well as with numerous other co-ops. (At this point, we know of no other co-op serving to-go items in glass.)
In fact, the direct use of glass is not an option for us. Any glass used at the co-op would have to go through a sophisticated time- and energy-consuming dishwashing process, then be thoroughly cooled before filled with food. There are other safety issues as well, including the fact that glass often breaks. Its heavy, somewhat fragile, and difficult to use around small children. In our square footage-crunched co-op, it would eat up our space.
Our packaging decisions must reflect respect for our customers desire for convenience. We also need to adhere to practices that effectively control the spread of food borne pathogens. Given these necessary conditions for the success of our deli, we have identified several options for you as customers.
At Harmony School (where my children are students) we sometimes pack the Trashless Lunch. This is a wonderful exercise for considering packaging issues and the origins of our food. Lets apply some "trashless lunch" principles here.
If you are purchasing prepared food at the co-op, and want to avoid using a plastic container, you can:
Buy food at the deli hot bar/salad bar and eat it at the store on our washable plates.
Buy food from the deli hot bar/salad bar on a plate, and once you have paid for it, transfer it to your own glass container to transport elsewhere.
Buy food from the deli hot bar/salad bar and take it in a recyclable aluminum container with a cardboard cover, or in the cardboard soup cartons we make available at no extra charge.
Order a sandwich or other items at the deli counter, and ask that they be packaged to go in natural waxed paper or a brown paper bag.
Buy baked goods from our new cookie, bagel, muffin, and oatcake bins, which we obtained partly to eliminate plastic film packaging on individual items.
We believe that in giving our customers these and other eco-effective options, they have more control over the personal choices they make and their ability to reduce/reuse/recycle. We also meet their requests for fine prepared foods.
Co-ops are in the business of serving their members (who represent a full spectrum of opinion on these issues), and of providing a forum for consumer education. We see ourselves as a place for respectful discussion about complex and controversial issues, including environmental and food safety debates. In exploring this and other fraught topics, we welcome the feedback of all of our customers, promising to take your concerns into thoughtful consideration.
At this point, we are continuing to use the PLA product, believing it to be a healthier choice. We are working with others to explore alternatives: hemp remains a seriously underdeveloped and yet promising resource. We cooperate with other co-ops and the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) to consider the complexity of grocery industry packaging and to source the best options at a competitive price. (Our midwest corridor co-ops developed our coffee cups, a good alternative to styrofoam.)
We realize that there are weaknesses to NatureWorks PLA, and will continue to be alert to alternatives as they come to market. We hold out hope that better options may become available to us someday, and in the meantime, we will continue to communicate with you about this issue.
http://www.bloomingfoods.org/newsletters/may05/deli_packaging.shtml

From the Orlando Business Wire release a little while ago:

Snehal Desai, NatureWorks LLC commercial vice president said, "We are delighted with the diversity, functionality and competitiveness of the Starpol 2000 range of products and believe the marketplace will welcome this broad extension of offerings of NatureWorks PLA based materials."
Therefore I think that Natureworks supply some ingredients to Biotec who then produce the Starpol. I think Natureworks are going to possibly be using some of the Starpol 2000 in their own range of products (above snippet of the news wire tends to suggest same", which is what I think the News if any will be tomorrow. Secondly Starpol is the only PLA based material that can be used in MAP packing and requires "Greenseal" to seal it. I think once the US Government has approved it for use, then Walmart / Natureworks will release a further press statement titled along the lines "packaging development etc etc"

Biodiesel Biobased News

Stanelco Signs Supply Agreement with NatureWorks(R) LLC; NatureWorks PLA Largest Component of Stanelco's Starpol 2000 Biodegradable, Compostable Plastic Materials
ORLANDO, Fla., Sep 23, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Stanelco, the UK-based radio frequency (RF) applications group, has entered into a supply agreement with NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, MN, 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 2000(TM) range of biodegradable, compostable plastic materials.

This relationship will materially assist commercialization of Starpol 2000 into Stanelco's target application segments. It is planned that a minimum of 15,000 tons of Starpol 2000 will be produced and sold within the next 12 months.
Starpol 2000 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.

"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 Europe and North America. Starpol 2000 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," said Howard White, president of Stanelco Inc. and Stanelco PLC group managing director.

"Just as importantly, the material is also easily sealable with our GREENSEAL(TM) technology project which continues to progress well and will enable us to offer a complete biodegradable, environmentally responsible packaging solution at a competitive cost," said White.

Snehal Desai, NatureWorks LLC commercial vice president said, "We are delighted with the diversity, functionality and competitiveness of the Starpol 2000 range of products and believe the marketplace will welcome this broad extension of offerings of NatureWorks PLA based materials."
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 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 man
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Think about it, Natureworks supply their PLA packaging to a number of big supermarkets throughout the world including Europe. If Natureworks product was as good as Starpol then ASDA being owned by Walmart would have to use the same packaging sources as Walmart from an Economics point of view.

ASDA arn't, they are going with Starpol, therefore I think Natureworks will have to use Starpol as well, as it would appear to be a better product than Natureworks own blend of PLA.