Cargill Dow Technology to Make Plastic & Fiber From Corn Wins Top Industry Honors.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2001

Cargill Dow LLC's breakthrough technology has recently earned the company two of industry's most coveted science and technology awards. NatureWorks(TM) PLA has been recognized by both Popular Mechanics and Industry Week as one of the most influential developments of the past year.

Developed by Cargill Dow LLC, the NatureWorks process harnesses the carbon naturally stored in plants through the process of photosynthesis to create a polymer that can be used for common consumer items such as clothing, cups, food containers, candy wrappers, as well as home and office furnishings. This new polymer uses annually renewable resources such as corn or wheat to create the natural polymer, polylactic acid or PLA. NatureWorks creates numerous advantages for the environment, including the reduction of dependence on oil to create polymers by using 20% - 30% less fossil fuels. In addition, since the production of PLA recycles the earth's carbon, the PLA system emits less CO2 compared to other petroleum based thermoplastics.

"The recognition that Cargill Dow and NatureWorks PLA are receiving reaffirms the unique nature of our product and the impact it is having on industry," said Randy Howard, president of Cargill Dow. "Our company is creating an environmentally responsible product that is setting a standard for the future as we lead the way into the next industrial revolution."

The "2001 Design and Engineering Awards" honor achievements in engineering, design and innovation and are awarded annually by the editors of Popular Mechanics. NatureWorks was chosen by Popular Mechanics for this honor because of the significant impact it is making in the chemical, fiber and plastic industries.

Industry Week ranked NatureWorks PLA as one of the top technologies of the year for 2000. This ranking put Cargill Dow in the company of four distinct leaders who are also advancing the next industrial revolution, including the "Human Genome Project."

These awards come one year after the introduction of NatureWorks and the announcement of a world-scale PLA plant being built by Cargill Dow. The plant, being built in Blair, Nebraska, will produce over 140,000 metric tons of PLA per year and is the first of its kind facility. The opening of this plant will bring tremendous expansion of the use of NatureWorks PLA in the market and continue its strong presence in the packaging and fiber industries.

NatureWorks is a dramatic addition to the fibers and packaging markets as well as influencing the chemical industry. When converted into fiber, NatureWorks bridges the gap between natural fibers, such as wool cotton and silk, and conventional synthetics. As a packaging product PLA is readily extruded, gives enhanced properties when oriented, and can be converted into high clarity end-products offering specific attributes such as stiffness, twist retention and sealability.

For more information on the individual awards and their publications you can visit the award Web sites at www.industryweek.com and www.popularmechanics.com.

Based in Minnetonka, Minn., Cargill Dow is a 50:50 joint venture between Cargill Incorporated and The Dow Chemical Company. It is the first company to offer its customers a family of polymers derived entirely from annually renewable resources with the cost and performance necessary to compete with packaging materials and traditional fibers. The company has achieved this breakthrough by applying its unique technology to the processing of natural plant sugars to create a proprietary polylactide polymer (PLA). Future applications of the technology could include use in injection blow molded bottles, foams, emulsions and chemical intermediaries. For more company information, please visit the Cargill Dow Web site at http://www.cargilldow.com.

(TM) Trademark of Cargill Dow LLC