April 15, 2008 - Ingeo™: the Natural Selection for Nonwovens

Ingeo™ Partners present a full range of innovative nonwoven products at Index,
15 - 18 April 2008, Geneva, Switzerland

Nonwoven products touch most of our lives yet mostly go unnoticed and unremarked upon. Until now! Visit the NatureWorks booth #4146 at Index and see the reality of a whole new generation of responsibly designed, functional performance products that have been made with the consumer and the environment in mind. Called Ingeo™, it is the new biopolymer-based fiber that is a more responsible and performance-designed alternative to the traditional oil-based fibers currently used in nonwovens manufacturing today.

NatureWorks LLC is the first commercial scale company to market and supply plant-based biopolymers on a global scale, and it is pleased to be present at Index, the most important global exhibition for nonwovens manufacturers. NatureWorks is presenting commercial products made from its Ingeo™ fiber brand that is now being used for everything from personal skincare products, such as wipes that are engineered to deliver good moisture transport function, as well as apparel components, functional furniture parts, baby care products, personal hygiene items, landscape fabrics for the garden and even exhibition grade carpets which is used in our booth courtesy of DS Fibers.

Ingeo™ is made from 100% annually renewable plant resources instead of oil. It is an ingenious innovation that has generated an accelerated growth, diversity and application of nonwoven products. It is an easy replacement of fiber in all nonwoven manufacturing processes delivering satisfaction in terms of practical performance as well as addressing environmental concerns.

We have talked about the environmental uniqueness of Ingeo™, but what about performance?

Ingeo^™ nonwovens have outstanding water transport properties, and outperform PET for breathability and comfort with good thermoregulating properties. Ingeo^™ also outperforms other synthetics in UV light resistance, and personal care applications benefit from a hypoallergenic attribute, showing no evidence of skin sensitization. Ingeo^™ nonwovens have a natural resistance to staining as well as very low odor retention.

Put these elements together and add the fact that Ingeo™ requires less fossil fuel from cradle to pellet and that its production emits fewer greenhouse gases, and you realize why nonwoven manufacturers and brands are opting to convert to Ingeo™. They are adopting Ingeo™ for the benefit of their business and respect for their customer too by meeting their growing demand to know the full eco-profile of the products they use every day.

NatureWorks is pleased to support its innovation partners exhibiting at Index that include:

DS Technical Nonwoven, booth #1100, is showing a new range of Ingeo™ exhibition grade carpeting in a wide range of colors, called Ecopunch® and marketed by Sommer Needlepunch.

Fa Ma Jersey, booth #1350, produces spunlace roll goods in a series of soft and pliant nonwoven webs in varying weights for the wet wipes business.

Far Eastern Textile LTD, booth #1458, will present a complete range of technical substrates designed for wipes manufacture and more.

Fiberweb, booth #1631 one of the world's largest and leading suppliers of specialty nonwoven fabrics. Nonwoven materials developed, manufactured, and marketed by Fiberweb are used in a wide variety of everyday products such as filters, baby diapers, construction products and feminine care. With vast experience in its field and a strong international presence, Fiberweb has long been regarded as a technological innovator with a strong portfolio of intellectual property and as a preferred partner for customers focused on high quality and reliable supply.

Fiberweb will be showcasing EcoFabrics, a line of sustainable nonwovens that contain fibers derived from natural, renewable materials. Offering a unique, spunbond, bi-component fabric combining the environmentally conscious and renewable Ingeo, with a coating of polypropylene to enhance performance. EcoFabrics can be run on modern high speed converting equipment allowing customers to easily convert fabrics creating sustainable performance products and contributing towards the eco-friendly global movement at the same time. In addition, Fiberweb offers traditional carded fabrics that are made from blends of 100% renewable fibers, including Ingeo™ fibers, rayon, and cotton. Fiberweb EcoFabrics provide the customer with a realistic solution today, and a solid foundation for a better tomorrow.

Libeltex, booth #2158, is a leading producer of nonwovens and is present in a multitude of different areas including hygiene, automotive, filtration, furniture, bedding, apparel and construction.

Suominem, booth #1522, produces a range of wet wipes under their Biolacer® brand name. The company ensures a sustainability position through its procurement chain; Biolace® spunlace nonwoven is produced solely from renewable raw materials, and includes Ingeo™ fiber, chlorine-free pulp, viscose sourced from certified forests, and Upland Cotton.

Visit the NatureWorks LLC booth and you will see Valor Brand’s Natural Choice baby diapers using Ingeo fiber and chlorine free pulp to make a better environmental baby soft product, and WIP with their own brand Naturaè feminine hygiene products.

“We always choose the most natural of materials. Our environmental engagement is not limited to the post life-cycle of our products. Developing recycling programs is not enough.

Sommer Needlepunch engages itself not just to solve problems but to create solutions. With this in mind, our first objective is to produce our products in an environmentally sound

way. With NatureWorks LLC we found a reliable partner providing us with the answer we were searching for. By using Ingeo™ fiber we reduce both our own and our customer’s carbon footprint.” comments Dirk De Saedeleir

And at the NatureWorks booth you will be able to see all of these nonwovens partners’ products within a Creative Gallery display, alongside many more of our global partners products across other Ingeo™ fiber applications for apparel and the home as well as Ingeo™ natural plastic innovations for biopackaging, durable appliances and casings and more. A presentation of the latest Ingeo™ news in developments and applications will be made on the17th of April by Eamonn Tighe, European Fibers Business Development and Robert Green, Nonwovens Business Development Manager both of NatureWorks LLC.

“We are pleased to be here at Index 2008 to support our global partners’ innovation and marketing strategies. NatureWorks knows that the breadth and depth of these nonwovens applications is a key part of our business today and we see it set for dynamic growth in the USA, Europe and Asia Pacific, making Ingeo™ the alternative mainstream lifestyle brand of choice”. says Eamonn Tighe.

Ingeo™ Earth Month, coincidentally, will be launching just after Index and you will be able to get more detailed information on this unique annual NatureWorks event that begins April 22^nd and runs through to June 5^th. Ingeo™ Earth Month will host a series of events, exhibitions, round table discussions and commercial sales platforms demonstrating NatureWorks’ commitment to supporting its partners’ research and investment through the Ingeo™ brand. Today, we can find a wide assortment of Ingeo™ natural plastic and fiber products in more than 20 different lifestyle categories from at least 100 commercial partners that sell in more than 70,000 retail outlets worldwide. For more information on Ingeo™ Earth Month, visit www.ingeoearthmonth.com.

Ingeo™ innovations bring a new balance and meaning of how to live and do business differently today. NatureWorks LLC, its partners and Ingeo™: making contemporary nonwoven products for everyone to make better, more balanced choices. Better for the planet, so better for consumers, business and ultimately better at providing the best options for disposal, recovery and re-use of products, thus preserving our precious resources today and tomorrow.

Ingeo™, ingenious materials made 100% from plants not oil.

Look for the Ingeo™ label that lets you make the difference!

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 biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers. The production of these biopolymers uses less fossil fuel and emits fewer green-house gases than conventional polymers. The company applies its proprietary technology to process natural plant sugars to make NatureWorks® biopolymer, which is then used uniquely to make and market finished products under the Ingeo™ brand name. NatureWorks LLC is a joint venture between Cargill in the US and Teijin Limited of Japan.

For more information, visit www.natureworksllc.com

NatureWorks, Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.