Zoë b Organic Selects Mirel Bioplastic for World’s First Line of Biodegradable Beach Toys

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Telles, a joint venture between Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLX) and Archer Daniels Midland Company, today announced that Zoë b Organic, a distributor of BPA-free, organic products for babies and kids, has selected and contracted Mirel™ bioplastic for the world’s first line of biodegradable beach toys. Mirel was the material of choice for Zoë b Organic’s new beach pails, cups and shovels for toddlers because it is the only durable bioplastic on the market that is proven to biodegrade in a marine environment.

“Consumers are increasingly seeking more products that fit with their desire for healthier lifestyles, and forward-thinking brand owners, including distributors like Zoë b Organic, are responding by turning to biobased and biodegradable materials that are made from renewable sources”

Made from corn sugar, Mirel bioplastics are biobased and biodegradable in natural soil and water environments, home composting systems and industrial composting facilities, where available. The rate and extent of Mirel’s biodegradability will depend on the size and shape of the articles made from it. However, like nearly all bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel is not designed to biodegrade in conventional landfills. When disposed of properly in the appropriate environment, the microbes present in natural soil or water break down the PHA structure of Mirel bioplastics, harmlessly converting the material back into CO₂, water and biomass. Mirel combines the expected durability and versatility of traditional petroleum-based plastics such as PVC, PET and PP, with biodegradable properties in certain environments, providing brand owners with a unique material for use in their products.

“Consumers are increasingly seeking more products that fit with their desire for healthier lifestyles, and forward-thinking brand owners, including distributors like Zoë b Organic, are responding by turning to biobased and biodegradable materials that are made from renewable sources,” said Bob Engle, Telles general manager. “Mirel’s biobased solutions provide an alternative to petroleum-based resins that offers brand owners a way to meet corporate sustainability goals and further differentiate product offerings.”

“As a mother of three young children, I am concerned about the number of stray plastic shovels and beach buckets that inadvertently wash up on the shore,” said Valerie Lecoeur, president and founder of Zoë b Organic. “Our line of Zoë b Organic beach products made with Mirel represents a cultural shift in toy manufacturing. With Mirel’s ability to biodegrade in water and other environments, Zoë b Organic is making smarter beach toys that are healthier for our kids and our planet.”

Zoë b Organic beach toys made with Mirel will be available online at www.zoeborganic.com and at select retailers beginning in spring 2011.

About Mirel Bioplastics

Mirel is a family of bioplastic materials that have physical properties comparable to petroleum-based resins, yet are biobased and biodegradable in natural soil and water environments, in home composting systems, and in industrial composting facilities where such facilities are available. The rate and extent of Mirel’s biodegradability will depend on the size and shape of the articles made from it. However, like nearly all bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel is not designed to biodegrade in conventional landfills.

Commercial grades of Mirel are available for injection molding, thermoforming, sheet extrusion, and film applications. For more information please visit www.mirelplastics.com.

About Metabolix

Founded in 1992, Metabolix, Inc. is an innovation-driven bioscience company focused on providing sustainable solutions for the world’s needs for plastics, chemicals and energy. The Company is taking a systems approach, from gene to end product, integrating sophisticated biotechnology with advanced industrial practice. Metabolix is now developing and commercializing Mirel™, a family of high performance bioplastics which are biobased and biodegradable alternatives to many petroleum based plastics, through Telles, a joint venture between Metabolix and Archer Daniels Midland Company. Metabolix is also developing a proprietary platform technology for co-producing plastics, chemicals and energy, from crops such as switchgrass, oilseeds and sugarcane.

For more information, please visit www.metabolix.com. (MBLX-G)

About Zoe B Organic

Zoë b Organic both sells and manufactures sustainable, BPA-free, organic products for babies and kids. They are the exclusive U.S. distributor for Natursutten, the world’s #1-selling, all-natural rubber pacifier. They’re also the maker of the On-The-Go Sleepy Hat and the creator of Kidishes, kid-friendly glass dishes from Duralex. The company is committed to providing mothers with well-designed options that are both safer for children and healthier for the planet.

For more information, please visit www.zoeborganic.com.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding expectations for Mirel market demand, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated and are detailed in Metabolix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Metabolix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.