Cereplast Launches New Symbol to Represent Bioplastics

Cereplast, Inc. (Nasdaq:CERP), a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, compostable and sustainable plastics, today announced a new symbol to represent "bioplastics." The designer of the new symbol is Laura Howard, a graphic design student at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, who is the winner of Cereplast's "Make Your Mark" competition.

The goal of the "Make Your Mark" contest was to discover a new symbol that will help consumers to identify products and packaging made from bioplastics. Bioplastics are environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastics — made from renewable resources including potatoes, corn, wheat, tapioca, sugar and algae — and are biodegradable and compostable, providing consumers and manufacturers with a revolutionary option to help safeguard the environment and support a sustainable future.

Laura Howard, a design student from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, created the winning bioplastics symbol. A native of Louisville, the 29 year-old was awarded $25,000 for her design that Cereplast will use as a new icon for bioplastics. The simple design of the new symbol enables it to be easily identifiable on products, even when embossed on a clear plastic bottle, for example, as it was created to be both single color or colorless.

The "Make Your Mark" design competition, which was modeled after the 1970 contest that produced the globally recognized recycling symbol we see on recycled and recyclable products today, received over 1500 design entries and 2.8 million public votes which determined the top 200 designs. The renowned panel of judges narrowed the top 200 down to three contenders and, after a multi-tiered judging process, selected the winning symbol. "Make Your Mark" judges included Dr. Gary Anderson, creator of the recycling symbol, Dr. Michael Thielen, Publisher of bioplastics MAGAZINE, and Karim Rashid, world-class industrial designer, among others.

"We are excited to congratulate Laura Howard for designing a symbol that has the potential to become a revolutionary logo representing the next generation of plastics — plastics that protect and preserve our environment and are made from renewable resources. The new bioplastic symbol will be used in a similar fashion to the recycling symbol as it will be stamped on products, and it will serve as an identifying mark of bioplastic material," said Frederic Scheer, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast. "Petroleum-based plastics can have a devastating impact on our environment. Approximately 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year. At these quantities, we could wrap the entire planet several times over. Bioplastics offer a more respectful option for our environment, and we believe that this new symbol will help provide consumers with the tools they need to make more environmentally intelligent purchasing decisions."

"Cereplast's bioplastic symbol could likely gain traction much faster than the recycling symbol I designed, as communication in today's digital landscape runs at lightning speed compared to forty years ago," said Dr. Gary Anderson, creator of the recycling symbol and "Make Your Mark" judge. "I am honored to be a part of this historic competition that has produced a symbol that will represent the environmental benefits of bioplastics."

The winning symbol was unveiled on Earth Day Eve, April 21, 2011, at a gala event held at the Herman Miller Showroom in Los Angeles, California. The event was attended by local politicians, dignitaries, key figures from the "green" movement and members of the bioplastic industry. The Herman Miller Showroom is the first LEED CI (Commercial Interiors) Platinum building in Los Angeles, as certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

About Cereplast, Inc.

Cereplast, Inc. (Nasdaq:CERP) designs and manufactures proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastics which are used as substitutes for petroleum-based plastics in all major converting processes — such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding and extrusions — at a pricing structure that is competitive with petroleum-based plastics. On the cutting-edge of bio-based plastic material development, Cereplast now offers resins to meet a variety of customer demands. Cereplast Compostables® Resins are ideally suited for single use applications where high bio-based content and compostability are advantageous, especially in the food service industry. Cereplast Sustainables™ Resins combine high bio-based content with the durability and endurance of traditional plastic, making them ideal for applications in industries such as automotive, consumer electronics and packaging. Learn more at www.cereplast.com. You may also visit our social networking pages at Facebook.com/Cereplast, Twitter.com/Cereplast and Youtube.com/Cereplastinc.

The Cereplast, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9567