Eleven eco-innovative consumer brands to be showcased at 7th edition of Ingeo Earth Month Innovation Gallery

For the seventh consecutive year, Ingeo Earth Month celebrates responsible product innovation and showcases the Ingeo Innovation Gallery around the world. The 11 brands in the exhibit are representative of the hundreds of companies that have created smarter consumer products with Ingeo plastics and fibers from plants, not oil.

Providing a testament to responsible product innovation with significantly reduced environmental impact, the Innovation Gallery includes products from: Bioserie, Earth's Best, Electrolux, Elements Naturals, Frito-Lay, Henkel, REI, Shiseido, Stonyfield, Walmart, and the newest consumer introductions from Target.

"Each year the Ingeo Innovation Gallery grows by including products from different industries and new consumer markets,” says Marc Verbruggen, NatureWorks president and chief executive office. “Today, there are hundreds of products from plastic cups to iPhone covers being made by our partners with Ingeo."

The Innovation Gallery will be presented at a number of events that are part of the Ingeo Earth Month project, including the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) New York Earth Day Celebration that kicks off the month-long responsible innovation celebration, April 21. The Ingeo Gallery will then continue on to the LOHAS Minneapolis Conference, May 12 and the Boulder LOHAS Forum, June 22-24. NatureWorks, maker of Ingeo plastic from plants not oil, will also bring the Innovation Gallery to two global trade events, Interpack in Dusseldorf, May 12-18, and Chinaplas in Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China, May 17-20.

"At LOHAS, our focus is on educating and building community around the central theme of healthy and sustainable lifestyles for individuals and societies," says Ted Ning, Executive Director, LOHAS. "NatureWorks and its Ingeo Innovation Gallery are a clear demonstration that the sustainable lifestyle is already happening, every day, in so many of the things that we as consumers take for granted."

Ingeo, a plastic from plants, not oil, guarantees the use of an innovative and unique technology with certified green credentials and positive environmental impact. Manufacturing Ingeo produces 60 percent less greenhouse gases and uses 50 percent less non-renewable energy than traditional plastics like PET and polystyrene. Additionally, explains Steve Davies, NatureWorks director of marketing and public affairs, "NatureWorks is working collaboratively with brands, retailers, and post-consumer organizations – to address and develop a full range of end-of-life options for its products to guarantee the lowest environmental impact from sourcing to disposal or reuse."

Davies adds, "Our partnership with LOHAS is important to promoting our message that smart, sustainable design for everyday products is a growing reality for businesses and consumers. Every year, Ingeo is being used in more applications, products, and consumer solutions."

The Ingeo Innovation Gallery represents a small portion of the market applications for the innovative biopolymer engineered by NatureWorks. A new 2011 Ingeo Earth Month edition of the Ingeo LookBook illustrates the breadth and increasingly mainstream nature of low carbon footprint products now available to consumers, with new products spanning multiple industries and categories, including packaging, electronics, clothing, housewares, health and personal care, semi-durable products, and foodservice items.

About NatureWorks LLC
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon footprint Ingeo biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers. For more information, visit www.natureworksllc.com.

About LOHAS
Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) describes an estimated $290 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development, and sustainable living. The consumers attracted to this market represent a sizable group in this country. Approximately 13-19 percent of the adults in the U.S., or 30-41 million people, are currently considered LOHAS consumers. This is based on surveys of the U.S. adult population estimated at 215 million. www.lohas.com

Stops include: LOHAS events in New York City, Minneapolis, and Boulder; and global trade shows Interpack and Chinaplas

Brands participating in Ingeo™ Earth Month include: Bioserie, Earth’s Best®, Electrolux, Elements Naturals, Frito-Lay, Henkel, REI, Shiseido, Stonyfield, Walmart, and the newest consumer introduction from Target.

Source: www.natureworksllc.com