Cereplast Partners with PACE Industries to Develop Biodegradable Printable Plastic Material

14 Mar 2008 • by Natalie Aster

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- Cereplast, Inc., manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastics, announced its multi-year contract with Pace Industries, a maker of high quality printable plastic sheets and rolls for the graphic arts industry. Cereplast Compostables™ resin will be used in Pace's new BIOGRAPH.ics™ custom sheet and roll products.

Cereplast Compostables products are renewable, ecologically sound substitutes for petroleum-based plastic that replace nearly 100% of the petroleum-based additives with bio-based material such as corn, wheat, tapioca and potato starches. Making plastic from renewable resources allows Cereplast resins to be cost competitive with traditional plastics, especially as oil prices increase to more than $100 per barrel.

"We continue to identify new applications for our Cereplast CompostablesCereplast, Inc. line of resins," said Frederic Scheer, chairman and CEO, Cereplast. "Pace's new line of BIOGRAPH.ics™ printing materials give the graphic design community a new way to incorporate sustainability into their artwork."

After extensive testing and dual-development efforts, Pace, an EPA-recognized GREEN POWER PARTNER, found that Cereplast Compostables™ resin outperforms other bio-plastic products with higher heat resistance and greater impact strength. BIOGRAPH.ics™ is compostable as per ASTM 6400-04. This means it will biodegrade (return to its basic organic elements) in 180 days or less when disposed of in an industrial composting facility.

"Pace has been the leading supplier to the Graphics Arts Market for over 20 years," said Blake Pace, president, Pace Industries. "While we have always focused on efficiency and conservation through the three R's - reduce, reuse and recycle - consumer markets and our customers demanded more sustainable options. BIOGRAPH.ics™ meets that demand. In fact, we speak of it in terms of the fourth R - replace - in that it replaces non-renewable fossil-fuel based products.

About Pace Industries

Founded in 1986, Pace Industries Inc. is the leading extrusion manufacturer of plastic sheet and roll products for the graphic arts industry. With its high-end extrusion process, backed by its quality and service standards, Pace continues to develop and create products to fulfill and exceed market demands for future generations.