Symphony Env. Regulatory News (SYM)

3 Mar 2008 10:39

Symphony Environmental Tech. PLC03 March 2008 For Immediate Release 3 March 2008 SYMPHONY ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES PLC ("Symphony" SYM) THE PLASTIC BAG DEBATE Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc ("Symphony" or "the Company"), thedegradable plastics and waste-to-energy Group, welcomes the debate in the UKpress about plastic bags, and the interest which the Prime Minister is showingin the subject. Symphony has over the past seven years made very large investments to create anddevelop an additive which, when added to normal polymers at the manufacturingstage, renders them oxo-biodegradable. Oxo-biodegradable plastic bags pass the tests prescribed by American Standard6954 and they degrade to carbon dioxide, water and biomass with in a few monthson land or in water leaving no fragments or harmful residues. They are made froma by-product of oil refining which would otherwise be wasted, so nobody isimporting oil to make them. The oil is being imported to make petrol and diesel. Symphony believes that it is wrong to ban plastic bags altogether, as they areso light, strong, durable, and convenient. Instead they (and all other plasticproducts with a useful life of 5 years or less) should be madeoxo-biodegradable. If this were done, further accumulation of plastic waste inthe environment would be greatly reduced. In Brazil, Argentina and in the cityof Delhi, there is already legislation requiring shopping bags to be degradable. Commenting on the decision of Marks & Spencer to charge 5p for each bag,Symphony's CEO, Michael Laurier said. "The bags they are selling are made partlyfrom recycled material and partly from virgin material, but they are notdegradable and will still lie around in the environment for hundreds of years.As an environmentally-responsible company, M&S would be well advised to put ouradditive into their bags, as the Co-op has already done. The 5p they arecharging would pay for the additive many times over." Customers will not take their goods home in their pockets, and the alternativesare worse for the environment. Starch-based bags (complying with EN 13432) madefrom crops are at least 400% more expensive, they are not strong enough, andthey emit methane (a serious greenhouse gas) in landfill. It is the opinion ofthe directors of Symphony that it is wrong to use scarce land and waterresources to grow crops to make plastic bags, given that it drives up the costof food for the poorest people. The same applies to growing cotton or jute to make durable bags, which areusually transported thousands of miles from the Far East. These becomeunhygienic and become a durable form of litter quite soon, but they can be madefrom oxo-bio plastic to last up to 5 years. Paper bags use 300% more energy to produce, and to transport, and they are notstrong enough. Paper, jute and cotton, as well as starch-based plastics, will all emit methanein landfill For further information, please contact: Symphony Michael Stephen (Deputy Chairman) Tel: 020 8207 5900 07917-796444 Carteret Communications Max de Trense Tel: 020 7 828-8598 07795-204078 SYMPHONY ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES PLC is a world leader in oxo-biodegradableplastic technology. The technology is recognised by the d2w(R) droplet logo onthousands of tonnes of oxo-biodegradable plastic products. Symphony develops andsupplies environmentally-responsible d2w(R) pro-degradant additives as well asd2w(R) oxo-biodegradable plastic film, and rigid packaging products. Symphony has a diverse and growing customer base in the UK and has successfullyestablished itself as an international business after signing distributionagreements for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada & USA, the Caribbean, Chile,Colombia, France, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, SouthAfrica, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uruguay, Qatar and other countries. Its d2w(R)products can already be found in more than 50 countries. Symphony is also developing innovative waste-to-energy technology and isexploring opportunities where there is a demand to convert plastics, tyres andother waste streams into valuable products by cost effective processes. Further information on the Symphony Group can be found atwww.symphonyplastics.com and www.degradable.net Further information onoxo-biodegradable plastic can be found on www.biodeg.org This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange