August 14, 2006 - Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Launches First Hot Beverage Cups Coated with NatureWorks PLA

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Launches First Hot Beverage Cups Coated With NatureWorks PLA


MINNEAPOLIS – AUGUST 14, 2006 – Marking several major milestones in the continued commercial adoption of NatureWorks^® PLA, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) and International Paper (IP) unveiled an all-natural, disposable hot beverage cup lined with the corn-based resin.

Developed in a joint technology effort led by DaniMer Scientific, the cups represent a string of commercial-scale “firsts” for NatureWorks PLA.  These include pioneering extrusion-coating capabilities for the annually renewable resource-based resin, creating a coated paper liner for use in foodservice disposables and introducing a film application tolerant to higher heat.

“NatureWorks PLA is an alternative to petroleum-based polymers that is proving time and again that it can be used in new, valued applications such as an extrusion-coated liner for coffee cups,” said Snehal Desai, Global Commercial Director of NatureWorks LLC.  “Working with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, International Paper and DaniMer, we have been able to deliver an unprecedented solution for hot beverage cups on a commercial scale.”

GMCR and IP are promoting the cups nationally as an eco-friendly breakthrough.  Branding the hot beverage cups as “ecotainer™,” the companies cite the renewable source of the coated paper liner, as well as the ability for the cups to fully degrade in industrial composting facilities, as key reasons for the switch.  The companies are also highlighting the fact that consumers will experience the same cup performance.

 
Blind market testing of nearly 5 million cups, in advance of the formal introduction, proved significant consumer interest and acceptance.  As a result, GMCR is now serving its signature coffee in the cups at most of its nationwide locations where coffee is available “to go.”  The cups have recently been certified compostable by the Biodegradeable Products Institute.

 “Consumers have come to know, love and depend on Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for the high quality product we offer,” said Michael Dupree, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for GMCR. “These new cups are yet another opportunity to innovate for the better.  Backed by NatureWorks PLA, the ecotainers deliver it all.  They have a better environmental footprint than petroleum-based cups, and without compromises.”

IP has also announced plans to make the NatureWorks PLA extrusion-coated hot beverage cups available to other customers later this fall.  Given IP’s ability to deliver a proven moisture and vapor barrier sourced from annually renewable resources, company officials envision these new cups will become the industry standard.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.

(NASDAQ:GMCR) was recently ranked No. 1 on the Business Ethics list of “100 Best Corporate Citizens.” A leader in the specialty coffee industry, it offers more than 100 selections (including Fair Trade Certified Organic Ô coffees) that sell under the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Ò and Newman’s Own Ò Organics brands.  More than 2.5 million cups of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters coffee are sold daily.  The company annually donates at least 5 percent of pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects.  Visit www.GreenMountainCoffee.com.

International Paper 
( NYSE:IP), which is headquartered in the U.S. , has been a leader in the forest products industry for more than 100 years.  The company is committed to environmental, economic and social sustainability, and has a long-standing policy of using no wood from endangered forests.  Visit www.InternationalPaper.com.

DaniMer Scientific, LLC

DaniMer Scientific, a privately held Georgia-based company, seeks to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources by utilizing new and cost-effective technologies for the production of plastics from renewable plant-based materials.  DaniMer Scientific resins are based primarily on NatureWorks PLA that is combined with other materials to form DaniMer proprietary polymer alloys.  DeniMer’s technology platform is being recognized globally for significantly improved PLA performance properties and for their broad-based capabilities for rapid development of customer-specific solutions.  For more information on DaniMer Scientific, please visit www.danimer.com.

NatureWorks LLC

NatureWorks LLC is a stand-alone company wholly owned by Cargill.  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 greenhouse-gas-neutral polymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with cost and performance that compete with petroleum-based packaging materials and fibers.  The company applies its unique technology to the processing of natural plant sugars to create a proprietary polylactide polymer, which is marketed under the NatureWorks^® PLA and Ingeo^® fibers brand names.  For more information about NatureWorks and its brands, please visit www.natureworksllc.com.