Progress on the Journey Towards Zero Waste

1. Progress on the Journey Towards Zero Waste NatureWorks LLC August 4, 2008 San Francisco, CA

2. Presentation Agenda • History of development • Sorting it all out • Recycle or Compost? • NatureWorks LLC Vision • Chemical Recycling-realizing the vision • Summary

3. A History of Development of End of Life (EOL) Options • Testing demonstrated the effect of Ingeo™ (PLA) contamination levels in PCR PET in flake/pellet. • Testing showed the effect of contamination in HDPE flake/pellet. • Testing on a variety of sorters demonstrate that NIR sorting is an effective means to separate PLA from PET • A crude test was developed using dyes to identify PLA vs. PET

4. Data Summary • PLA Bottle/HDPE Flake – 2% Ingeo • No effect on color or melt index • Density difference makes flake contamination unlikely • PLA Bottle/RPET Flake – 1% Ingeo • No effect on the IV of PET • Tg and Tm are similar for PCR PET and PCR PET /Ingeo • Bottle-to-Bottle at a level of 0.1% PLA at 0.150 preform wall thickness • Acceptable haze • No B value difference • No effect on solid stating to an IV of 0.82 ± 0.02, includes rate • TM and TG are not significantly affected • Screen pack life and processing unaffected

5. Sorting and Identification • It is not NatureWorks intent to be classified as an SPI Code #1. • Ingeo (PLA) will be treated as other non-PET/HDPE plastics in the stream • With critical mass, Ingeo (PLA) will be isolated into its own value stream • NIR sorting equipment is ideal • Becoming more widely used at the MRF and reclaimer to isolate PET. • Industrial trials at commercial recyclers done and more are planned

6. New Information - Sorting

7. Industrial TiTech Sorting Incoming Plastics Stream Feed • 1188lbs PET 45% • 924lbs HDPE 35% • 264lbs PP 10% • 264lbs Ingeo 10% • 2640lbs Total mixed plastics stream

8. NIR Sorting – MRF • Positive sort for PET • 98% accuracy for PET • 1164lbs PET recovered • 23.76lbs of bottle contaminant • 4.27lbs Ingeo bottles got through • 0.36% Ingeo bottles in the PET bale at the MRF

9. NIR Sorting – Reclaimer • Negative sort for contaminants • 98% accuracy for contaminants • 1164lbs PET • 19.49lbs other bottle contaminants • 0.39lbs of other bottle contaminants • 0.033% other bottle contamination • 4.27lbs of Ingeo bottles • 0.085lbs Ingeo missed by sorting • 0.0073% Ingeo contamination

10. Near Infrared (NIR) Sorting-Opportunities to Recover More Plastics • Increased interest in capturing plastics beyond #1 and #2 bottles • Various municipalities efforts • APR subcommittee forming to evaluate recycling rigid plastics beyond #1 and #2 bottles • Key technology proposed is Near Infrared (NIR) sorting • Each plastic has a unique “signature” • Shown effective in NatureWorks LLC testing with several machinery manufacturers, one MRF • Confirmed effective for PLA in June, 2008 WRAP Study and Report

11. CarbonLife Cycle Analysis to Support EOL Options Presented in full at the NRC Annual Meeting September 2007

12. PET PLA PLA/NG PLA (WP) PLA/NG (WP) Eco Profile – Cradle to Pellet PLA (REC) (REC) (REC) (REC)

13. Infrastructures / Settings

14. Complete System Analysis Climate Change MSWI MechR (BTB) Ingeo5 Ingeo/NG PET Ingeo5 Ingeo/NG PET

15. End-of-Life Options Comparison (Energ. Recov.)

16. Recovery Vision for Ingeo Packaging (Bottles and Beyond)

17. The Complexity of the Issue www.natureworkspla.com

18. Value Capture – Short Term • Before Ingeo™ bottles achieve critical mass. • Work with MRF’s and their customers to funnel PET bales with Ingeo™ bottles to processors that could use NIR sorting technology to separate out the Ingeo™ bottles to maintain the PET bottle value while capturing enough volume of Ingeo™ for hydrolysis. • PET reclaimers sell Ingeo™ bales to hydrolysis facilities. • NatureWorks LLC buy-back program to help start the market.

19. Value Capture – Long Term • Once Ingeo™ bottles achieve critical mass. • Work with area MRF’s for collection at curbside, ideally through single stream allowing Ingeo™ bottles recovered to be baled as Ingeo™ bales. • Line sorting done with NIR equipment investments. • NIR sorting investments allow for MRF’s to recover plastics beyond PET and HDPE that are land filled today. • Option would be development of PRF’s (plastic recovery facilities) that sort plastics into value streams.

20. Bottle Sortation Road Map at the Processor Beverage bottles Recycling Collection MRF - Baling Baled Bottles Processor • Opportunities • PLA yield losses becomes value to the processor per the bale buy back program. • Limited number of facilities in operation in the US. • Electronic sortation done at a processor, easier to sort crushed bottles. NIR Sortation Baled Ingeo Bottles Chemical Recycling Lactic Acid PCR PET

21. Bottle Sortation Road Map at the MRF Beverage bottles Recycling Collection MRF - Baling Baled PET Bottles NIR Sortation • Opportunities • Many MRF’s in operation in the US • Electronic sortation increasing at the MRF • Helps to increase purity of all bales today with emergence of single stream. • Helps recover plastics land filled today. Baled Ingeo Bottles Chemical Recycling Lactic acid Mechanical Recycling

22. Process Flow for Hydrolysis Grind 3/8 Screen Label Waste Future option would be to install the processes before this step at the hydrolysis site. Separation Cap Value Wash 15 minutes @ 185 F 1% NaOH / 0.3% X-100 Transport to Hydrolysis Site Waste Hydrolysis Lactic Acid Distillation at Blair Lactic Acid Distillation at Hydrolysis Site Lactide Pellets

23. Short-term Reality of Chemical Hydrolysis • Since 2003 NatureWorks has chemically recovered approximately 21.5 MM lbs of lactic acid using 17.5 MM lbs of wide spec. resin generated during start-up and transitions • Represents significant landfill diversion of post-industrial (post manufacturing PLA waste • Avoids fossil energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with generating feedstock and new lactic acid

24. Applying Hydrolysis to Post Consumer PLA • Laboratory hydrolysis of small quantities of in-house collected PLA bottle scrap including typical levels of label, cap, colorant contamination • Demonstrated feasibility of recovering lactic acid from Ingeo™ bottles • Showed the possibility of using simple techniques to hydrolyze, filter and clean-up lactic acid from post-consumer material

25. Lab Hydrolysis Successful with Ingeo™ Bottles • Lab Hydrolysis completed with 600 mL PARR reactor using predominately Naturally Iowa (white) and Primo (clear) bottles • Hydrolyzed material filtered with standard fiber and glass filters to remove residual TiO2, fiber, label and cap materials • Successive filtration resulted in a clear yellowish lactic acid solution after removing TiO2 and fiber • Suggests larger-scale hydrolysis of post-consumer bottles should be possible

26. Scale-Up to Pilot Scale Post Consumer Hydrolysis • NatureWorks LLC working with chemical processing partner to hydrolyze larger quantity (approximately 150 lbs) of dirty, in-house collected bottles and bottle processing scrap • Recyclate ground and hydrolyzed, filtered successfully • Evaluating hydrolysis product • Testing suggests that process is a viable means of recycling post-consumer material • Next level is to develop processing and economics necessary for real post-consumer collected material

27. Chemical Hydrolysis – Long Term Vision • Allows for recovery of Ingeo™ packaging beyond bottles. • Does not require further separation within Ingeo™ recovery stream. • Generates virgin specification resin using up to 100% recycled lactic acid. • Broad base of end markets for lactic acid • Might allow for recycling of Ingeo™ packaging beyond bottles only in the future

28. Recycling – End Markets Lactic Acid back to: • Virgin Ingeo™ polymer production • Technical Grade • Eco2 PET recycling • Electronics cleaning • Animal Feed • Food Grade

29. Summary • We continue to share data/information. • We continue to dialogue with many stakeholders. • We continue studies on recovery • Sorting • End markets . • We continue to innovate for reduction of impact on climate change – carbon. • We continue toward a zero waste vision through renewable based materials.