Biocorp, Inc., Green Mountain Technologies to Demonstrate In-Vessel Compost Unit at College and Universities Recycling Council Conference Sept. 26-29.

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 1999--

A working, in-vessel compost unit approximately nine feet in diameter has been set up at the 18th annual National Recycling Coalition (NRC) conference Sept. 26-29 to demonstrate how food wastes can be recycled out of the waste stream. The exhibit, being held at the Cincinnati Convention Center, is part of the Colleges and Universities Recycling Council (CURC), a technical council of the NRC.

Biocorp, Inc., based in Redondo Beach, Calif., is sponsoring the exhibit and yesterday sponsored a "Zero Waste" luncheon. " `Zero Waste' means just what it says: All materials and food scraps collected from the luncheon will be recycled in the demonstration composting facility," said Peter Klaich, Biocorp vice president and director of sales.

Biocorp makes biodegradable cutlery, lawn and leaf bags, bin liners and coated products that can be sent directly into composting facilities and will biodegrade completely and safely into useful soil amendment-compost. The key component of its products is Mater-Bi(TM) resin, a combination of corn starch with other well-known biodegradable materials. Biocorp resins do not use any polyethylene or polystyrene.

Biocorp is working with businesses and communities to develop effective recycling solutions, said Frederic Scheer, president of Biocorp. "The life of our planet is not infinite, unless we can help individuals and companies see their role in providing a `Sustainable Clean Earth' for future generations," he said.

Green Mountain Technologies developed the "Earth Tub," a 1.5-ton in-vessel composting container that is used by restaurants, hotels and institutions to use to divert food wastes from landfills. The tub will be on display throughout the conference. This represents the first time the NRC has had such a demonstration of in-vessel composting.

Michael Bryan-Brown, president of Green Mountain Technologies in Whitingham, Vermont, said food represents about 8 percent of waste in a typical landfill, but only 1 percent of that is being recycled. "If cities are serious about meeting their goals of recycling, food waste recycling has got to start happening now," he said.

The Earth Tub to be demonstrated will later be shipped to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago, where it will be used in recycling food scraps from the hotel's kitchens, Klaich said. The hotel will use the resulting compost as soil amendment on the hotel grounds.

The NRC was formed in 1981. Its technical offshoot, the College and University Recycling Council (CURC), was organized in 1992 to facilitate information exchange between institutions of higher education to learn about waste reduction, recycling and waste management issues. CURC now has a membership of 150 college- and university-based waste management officials.

Biocorp, Inc. is the leading distributor of completely biodegradable products. The company sells products in 16 countries, with subsidiaries in Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, Australia, Benelux, Japan, Korea and Canada , as well as the United States. The company is actively involved in providing products and services to create recycling programs for organic materials, diverting them from incinerators and landfills.