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Cereplast Reports on the Financial Success of Composting Biodegradable Food Service Ware at the Oakland Coliseum

Posted on: Monday, 30 January 2006, 12:00 CST

Cereplast, Inc.(TM) (OTCBB:CERP), the producer of proprietary, bio-based resins which are used as substitutes for petroleum-based plastics, reported today that the Company grabbed the attention of attendees and Wall Street alike at the US Composting Council meeting held in Albuquerque this week. Cereplast's VP, Russell Wegner, reported on the composting program at Oakland, California's McAfee Coliseum, noting the amount of refuse diverted to composting rather than to landfills, and highlighting the staggering financial success of the program.

Cereplast's San Francisco office arranged last year for the introduction of biodegradable food service ware at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics and Oakland Raiders. This historic accomplishment made it the first national stadium in the country to use biodegradable service ware.

To help Oakland's McAfee Coliseum achieve its goal of becoming a zero-waste stadium, Cereplast was instrumental in creating a partnership between various key participants: StopWaste.Org (Alameda County); Aramark, a national provider of food service; SMG, the Coliseum management company; and the Athletics, all spurred along by California legislation, Assembly Bill 2176, which requires large venues to have recycling programs in place. The combination of all these participants and the use of biodegradable and compostable products made this program not only an environmental success but also a major financial success for the Oakland Coliseum.

The Coliseum's maintenance director, George Valerga of SMG, stated that he is saving over $100,000 per year on its garbage bill. This is accomplished by diverting the biological components from landfills, and instead, sending food waste, along with biodegradable food service ware, to a commercial composting site managed by Norcal Waste Systems.

Cereplast provided not only Cereplast-made products, but also invited additional biodegradable products to be featured, especially NatureWorks PLA cups. "We believe in teaming up and wanted to make the Coliseum a showcase for the industry. All products were Biodegradable Products Institute (B.P.I.) approved, which guarantees the legitimacy of this program," said Frederic Scheer, Cereplast CEO. "This story has now gained nationwide attention and is a testimony on how a well designed program with several players from the private and public sector can both be good for the environment and financially attractive."

Cereplast, whose main operations are in resin manufacturing, continues to jump-start programs around the country to promote the use of biodegradable and compostable food service ware. New similar programs are in the works both on the West Coast and in New York, where the company has recently opened another office.

About Cereplast, Inc.

Cereplast, Inc. (http://www.cereplast.com) has developed a breakthrough technology to produce proprietary bio-based resins which are used as substitutes for petroleum-based plastics in a variety of applications, including the manufacture of food service items such as utensils, plates, cups and straws. Made from renewable resources such as corn and potato starch, Cereplast resins are bio-based, biodegradable and compostable, and have comparable or superior performance characteristics to conventional plastics, and are sold at prices that are competitive with plastics.

Safe Harbor Statement

Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate,""believe,""estimate,""may,""intend,""expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and its operations, markets, product and distributor performance; the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions and U.S. actions subsequently; and other factors detailed in reports filed by the Company.

Source: Business Wire

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