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

GPEC 2005 Paper Abstract #24:
Title: NatureWorks PLA Commercial Development of Biopolymers on a
World Scale
Author(s): Brian Glasbrenner, Cargill Dow LLC
Business Development Manager, films & bottles
NatureWorks PLA
15305 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345
www.cargilldow.com
www.natureworkspla.com
ABSTRACT
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a highly versatile aliphatic, compostable polymer derived from
100% annually renewable resources. Because annually renewable resources replace oil
as the feedstock, PLA requires 20-50% less fossil resources than comparable petroleum based
plastics. With PLA, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere when
growing the feedstock crop and is returned to the earth when PLA is degraded. Since the
process recycles the earths carbon, PLA has the potential to reduce atmospheric CO2
levels. Disposal of PLA fits with existing systems including the additional option of
composting. Long-term, with the proper infrastructure, PLA products could be recycled
back to a monomer and into polymers.
The landmass necessary for feedstock production is minimal. Producing one billion
pounds of PLA requires less than 0.5% of the annual US corn crop. Since corn is an
inexpensive dextrose source, the current feedstock supply is more than adequate to meet
foreseeable demand. Compared to the escalating and volatile cost of petroleum-based
feedstocks, long-term PLA will eventually reap the benefits of a more stable and lower
priced feedstock.
In spite of PLAs excellent balance of properties and environmental benefits, traditionally
the commercial viability of PLA has been limited by high production costs (greater than
$2/lb). Until the last decade, PLA has enjoyed little success in replacing petroleum-based
plastics outside of biomedical applications like sutures. Though development of PLA is
at the early stages of commercialization versus more traditional, petroleum-based plastic,
expansion of commercial adoption for applications like PLA bottles has been rapidly
increasing as of late.

http://www.4spe.org/conf/0502gpec_prog.pdf

cheers baza. how did you find the whole experience?

Natural supermarket goes wild for corn-based packaging
Upholding a mission value to reduce its negative impact on the environment, Wild Oats Markets, Inc. of Boulder, CO,
has become the first North American retail grocery chain to offer deli items in corn-based packaging made from Cargill
Dow's NatureWorks PLA (polylactide) resin. Called "amaizing" by local media, the 8-, 16- and 32-oz containers are
initially being used in the chain's 11 Portland, OR, locations, with plans to expand the campaign to its remaining 66
U.S. and Canadian stores within the next three to six months, says Mark Cockcroft, Wild Oats western region field
marketing manager. "Being able to switch to something that is made from corn, as opposed to petroleum-based
plastic, was very appealing to us," Cockcroft says. "And, on the other side, having something that was compostable,
that could return to the earth, was also very exciting."
Products packaged in the clear, two-piece containers run the gamut of cold, fresh foodsfrom salads and sauces to
value-added meats, such as chicken fajita and beef stir fry, and seafood items that include shrimp, calamari and
scallops. Bases and lids are supplied by Wilkinson Manufacturing of Fort Calhoun, NB, (see PD, April, 2003, p. 4) which
recently became the first North American converter to produce thermoforms from the PLA resin. Wilkinson uses
extrusion and thermoforming equipment from Brown Machine to produce the containers, which Cockcroft says "pack
well, seal well and are very sturdy." He adds: "There have been absolutely no complaints on the functionality of the
containers from our customers."
Wild Oats is promoting the campaign through a number of marketing devices. Among them are storefront banners,
posters in the deli area and stickers on the PLA-packaged products that read: "Made from 100% renewable resources,"
"Compostable" and "Made from corn." Explains Cockcroft, "It's definitely an education process though. It's something
new for consumers, and it's definitely a learning curve for everybody, because the containers really do look and act like
plastic. We are continuously working on trying to engage with customers so that they get used to the idea of
composting the containers and not recycling them."
Although the corn-based containers may look and act like plastic, they are priced at approximately 40-percent more
than the petroleum-based deli packages they replace. This cost, notes Cockcroft, is not one that is being passed on to
customers. "It's a great thing when your company really wants to put its money where its mouth is and be an
innovator and really take some chances and some risks," he says. "It's an exciting place to be and not only do the
employees respond to that, but customers do as well. We've definitely seen a lot of positive feedback."



Yeah - July 2003 - when oil was cheap .... LOL !!!!

http://www.momints.net/downloads/packaging_digest.pdf

Wilkinson Industries, Inc., located in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, manufactures a distinctive line of foodservice packaging products including aluminum foil, OPS clear containers, roll foil and foil pop-ups, and the new natural plastic packaging, NaturesPLAstic, featuring NatureWorks PLA, made from 100% renewable resources such as corn

http://www.wilkinsonindustries.com/aboutus/

http://naturesplastic.wilkinsonindustries.com/

Wilkinson Industries, Inc. is proud to introduce a new, unique alternative productNaturesPLAstic, the first-ever thermoformed plastic food container made from corn.

NaturesPLAstic is made from a biologically based polymer called NatureWorks PLA which was developed by Cargill Dow LLC. Naturally derived from corn or other plants, NatureWorks PLA uses up to 50% fewer fossil resources than conventional plastic and composts back to the carbon cycle keeping a balance in nature.

Unlike the traditional plastics of today, such as OPS (oriented polystyrene) and PET (polyethylene terephalate), NaturesPLAstic is completely recyclable under composting conditions. In just 45 days, NaturesPLAstic will return to nature at more than 4,000 commercial composting facilities nationwide.

NaturesPLAstic has shown superior performance qualities which will maximize its merchandising appeal across broad consumer markets. In Wilkinsons initial research study NaturesPLAstic has more characteristics of PET packaging, with the exception of clarity found in OPS packaging. More research will be available at a later date

Feb 2005 ....

The First Compostable Logo for Cutlery Goes on NAT-UR Utensils

The NAT-UR biodegradable plastic cutlery has just received another international honor. The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) this week granted its first "Compostable Logo" to NAT-UR, Inc. for compostable utensils. NAT-UR utensils are made of NAT-UR resin which incorporates NatureWorks PLA. The BPIs symbol demonstrates that NAT-URs cutlery meets ASTM D6400 Specifications for Compostable Plastics.

(PRWEB) February 3, 2005 -- "We are very pleased to be the first cutlery in the USA to carry the Compostable Logo, it has been a long search and a cooperative effort with ours suppliers and others. NAT-UR utensils offer a convenient, durable and responsible alternative for everyday use by consumers, said Frederic Scheer, President and CEO, NAT-UR, Inc. The cutlery provides more than just the performance and durability desired in flatware, it competes on price and will not deplete the earths limited resources like traditional, petroleum-based disposable serviceware. The combination of higher costs for fossil fuels and the use of natural components makes NAT-UR utensils competitive to conventional disposable plastic cutlery.

The BPI symbol will be used on all NAT-UR's utensils made including its forks, spoons, knives, and sporks of various sizes. NAT-UR utensils can be used like traditional plastic food service items but offer the benefit of being based on renewable resources and as well as being can be compostable. NAT-URs newest entries complement the companys already extensive line of BPI approved food service containers and compostable bags.

I am committed to using biobased raw materials wherever possible, added Scheer. NAT-URs food serviceware are made with NAT-UR resins which incorporate NatureWorks PLA resin manufactured by Cargill Dow using corn grown in the United States. The new utensils were tested by a third party laboratory for its biobased content using radiocarbon dating. The results confirmed that the products are biobased with content in excess of 95% and NAT-UR, Inc. is an active member of the Biobased Manufacturer Association.

The Compostable Logo is a joint effort between the U.S. Composting Council and the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) to identify plastic products which are designed to biodegrade satisfactorily in municipal and commercial composting systems, as do leaves, grass and food scraps. Before a manufacturer can receive the BPI symbol, it must provide data from an approved, independent laboratory that their products meet the specifications in ASTM D6400. This assures that the products will disintegrate and biodegrade quickly during composting and not leave behind any toxic residues or plastic fragments. Further, the data must be reviewed by knowledgable third party scientists to assure conformance.

Steve Mojo, BPI Executive Director, anticipates the growing list of compostable will lead to savings in the composting industry. He said, "We encourage composters, officials and end users to look for products that meet the ASTM specifications and carry the BPI symbol in order to maximize the benefits and demonstrate their cost effectiveness."

About NAT-UR, Inc. and its biodegradable packaging
NAT-URs innovative manufacturing process combines natural starch with other biodegradable materials to produce packaging that are 100% biodegradable and compostable. And unlike so-called degradable plastic, NAT-UR products do not use polyethylene or polystyrene and do not leave any plastic residue. When composted, NAT-UR packaging biodegrade completely into carbon dioxide, water and biomass in 30-60 days, just like food scraps and yard trimmings.

Composting organic waste has always been difficult, since all contaminants such as plastic utensils and polystyrene packaging must be first separated from the waste stream, a painstaking process that is usually too costly and labor intensive to make economic sense. NAT-UR products can be disposed along with leftover food in biodegradable trash bags that can be taken directly to a composting facility without expensive sorting.

NAT-UR is a leading provider of biodegradable packaging designed to meet the highest needs for sustainability. NAT-UR assists individuals, communities, schools, businesses and governments in finding innovative ways to reach sustainability in the use and disposal of biodegradable packaging, relying on organic material through sophisticated waste recovery systems. NAT-UR is involved in all levels of the supply and the recovery of sustainable packaging.

NAT-URs products include lawn and leaf bags, bin liners, and food serviceware such as cutlery, cups, straws, lids and plates. NAT-UR products are sold by large national chain such as Whole Foods Market. NAT-UR received the BPI logo for its line of biodegradable-compostable bags & liners and its other food serviceware including cups & food containers. NAT-UR is based in Los Angeles, California. More information is available at its website (www.nat-ur.com)

BPI is a multi-stakeholder group, involving people and organizations that produce, use or recover biodegradable plastic products. It promotes the growth of biodegradable plastics through education, use of scientifically-based standards and cooperative efforts with organizations in Europe and Asia.

I agree with PM1 again - this is uncanny now - a second time we agree.

They were not both buys IMO - I think we have seen the start of someone going short in a big way - they have gone long recently and accumulated stock at lower prices and chosen the poor EGM statement - poor trading update - and yet more talk and no orders to go short now - simply all they had to do on a day like today was observe the sells being soaked up - with the MMs filling the 4M WT buy - and then last thing throw in a 4M sell - MMs cannot react and now have an overhang to start trading Thursday - if this is the case they will now be going short from Thursday morning - with the MMs having an overhang of stock there should be big pressure to lower the price and try to clear the overhang.

If there is downward pressure Thursday - Friday - it was a 4M WT buy followed by a quick 4M sell end of the day.

Morning Bos - found it quite interesting - though I did not follow some of the financial debate that went on.

Overall impression was of a sound management team being led by an astute chairman who obviously knows his way around, all of whom are excited by what they have got and who are keen to succeed. They seemed especially excited by what they have found at BIOTEC and the future promise in the 21 families of patents they have bought.

I think they are frustrated because they are having to prioritise their resources onto the low hanging fruit - a phrase that Ian made a couple of times. There is so much potential in this company for the long term.

Baza

this has to be one of the most interesting threads

I might buy back in later but as far as I can see this is

jam tomorrow

From last nights UK-Analyst report ....

Stanelco, one of the superstar stocks of the year so far, announced another deal today, which gave its shares a 1.25p boost to 21.25p. The radio frequency applications group said that it has entered into a supply agreement with NatureWorks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of US group Cargill. The agreement covers the supply of NatureWorks PLA (polylactide, a starch derivative), which is the largest component of Stanelco's recently-announced Starpol 2000 range of biodegradable, compostable plastic materials.

Snip Hi,

The jam could well come sooner than you think ....

Cheers,
PM

PM I agree with that totally. SEO has the products which have the potential to really fly. Apart from the Frogpack and Starpol ranges which didn't feature much in my questions at yesterday's EGM I think the the quickest and most lucrative 'low hanging fruit' source of business might be the Mondini deal. I got the impression that Ian Balchin regards it as such, mainly because it will be in Mondini's interest to use its sales force to exploit an RF machine they are investing in developing.

Re Basa's comment about there only being 5 employees on SEO's sales team, IB did point out that most of the executive mgt. were also heavily focussed on that aspect of the business.

if you say so PaulM

Anyone on here have any views to the questions I posed on CHP?

Anyone on here have any views to the questions I posed on CHP?

paul. the jam will be here very soon @ afd. starting to move.

Chart of the Week: Walmart Relative Sales versus Gasoline Prices

Over the past decade, when gasoline prices have been falling, year-on-year same-store sales gains at Wal-Mart have tended to outpace the growth in overall retail sales and vice versa.

Relative Walmart Sales versus Gasoline

While it is not necessarily causal, it lends some credence to the idea that the working-class customers of the nation's largest retailer adjust their spending in response to what they must pay at the pump.

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2005/08/chart_of_the_we_2.html

hi Paul - a few speculative questions - after browsing thru some of your endless posts;

will Natureworks not pose a threat to SEO ??
- as they create bio-plastic, isn't that where Biotec is trying to go ??

and are they (Natureworks) then not able to create the type of food packaging that Starpol is going to be used for ??

To anyone; I have read that Natureworks is supplying SEO; then that SEO is supplying Natureworks......with a key ingredient.........anyone know which is the correct one ??

many thanks and regards.

B6 Hi,

Stanelco have Greenseal, and Starpol 2000 is great for MAP packaging, I don't see that Natureworks have competetive products for either.

Cheers,
PM

Interesting article from Cazenova today ....

The Power of Clubcard

Contrary to popular belief, Tesco's most significant competitive

advantage in the UK is not its scale. We believe Clubcard, which

conveys an array of material benefits across virtually every

discipline of its business, is Tesco's most potent weapon in the

ongoing battle for market share. Very simply; Tesco is big because it

is good, not vice versa.

Despite its centrality to Tesco's success over the past decade, and

ignoring the scope it offers as an ongoing engine of growth, we

believe the importance of Clubcard to Tesco is a material area of

investor misunderstanding that contributes to a widespread

misperception of the UK business as a quasi-mature operation.

In this note we highlight ten areas of the supermarket business, from

site location through supplier relations to ranging and promotional

planning, in which Tesco enjoys advantages over all its UK competitors

as a direct result of Clubcard. Set within the context of an industry

that seeks to affect customer behaviour by small percentages, Clubcard

is an immensely powerful tool, giving Tesco an array of customer

insights and opportunities that are denied to its competitors.

Clubcard is the principal reason that we expect Tesco to continue to

outperform all its UK peers into the medium term and, indeed, it could

also become an important force in Tesco's global expansion.

Valuation

Whether judged by historical standards or set against a variety of

retail, consumer goods or broad stock market benchmarks Tesco, in our

view, is a cheap stock. Given Tesco's superior growth profile, we

believe a 20% premium to the market is easily justifiable - it would,

after all, amortise over 3-4 years given relative growth rates. This

argues for a share price fair value in a range from 360-390p.

OUTPERFORM.


RECOMMENDATION HISTORY

12 months recommendation changes for Tesco PLC;

No changes in recommendation over the last 12 months.



12 months recommendation changes for J Sainsbury PLC;

No changes in recommendation over the last 12 months.



12 months recommendation changes for WM Morrison Supermarkets PLC;

26-May-2005 IN-LINE



12 months recommendation changes for Somerfield PLC;

20-May-2005 IN-LINE

10-Jan-2005 UNDERPERFORM



12 months recommendation changes for Koninklijke Ahold NV;

No changes in recommendation over the last 12 months.



12 months recommendation changes for Carrefour SA;

10-Jan-2005 UNDERPERFORM

belisce, this is from yesterday's egm rns


In an earlier announcement today, NatureWorks LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Cargill Inc has agreed the supply of the major component of Biotec's Starpol
materials which will make Biotec's products price competitive with a number of
materials currently used in the target market segments.


it is natureworks that is supplying seo. see andysmith's post 8728. also, just me thinking out loud, seo have a habit of starting dealings with a company that can supply a crucial ingrediant and then buying that company, as in aquasol, adept and now biotec. does anyone know what natureworks is worth?