Minerv Supertoys bioplastic for toys to be showcased at "BioPlastics: Biobased Re-Invention of Plastics" in New York

• Bio-on and ITALERI confirm their alliance for the toys of the future. Product now goes to the market and the toys supply chain following completion of the test phase.
• Bio-on repeats its commitment to environmental sustainability with bioplastics produced by nature and 100% biodegradable. A feature even more important in products designed for children.
• "Not all manufacturers are making this choice," says Astorri, "Consumers must be aware because some companies, even the biggest ones, are producing bioplastic that is not truly sustainable."

Bologna ITALY 2 May 2018 - Bio-on and ITALERI will take part in "BioPlastics: Biobased Re-Invention of Plastics", one of the major global events on biopolymers, held from 25 to 27 June 2018 in New York, which will be attended by major international companies such as PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble as well as prestigious research institutes such as Fraunhofer Institute. Bio-on and ITALERI will illustrate the results achieved with Minerv Supertoys bioplastic designed for the toys of the future. Made using Bio-on's revolutionary, natural and 100% biodegradable biopolymer, Minerv Supertoys is safe and eco-sustainable, child- and environmentally friendly. The New York conference will be Bio-on's first public event after the June inauguration of the first production plant the company is building near Bologna, in northern Italy, which will produce special bioplastics such as microbeads for the cosmetics industry. Approximately 27 million dollars is being invested in the new production hub.

Bio-on S.p.A., operating in the high quality bioplastic sector, and ITALERI, Italy's leading plastic model and toy manufacturer for over 50 years, have decided to boost their collaboration with the Minerv Supertoys Program and, thanks to the results of the research and development carried out in the last two years, will go straight to the toys market with PHAs-based applications (polyhydroxyalkanoates). The goal is to enact an investment plan that will develop and demonstrate PHAs bioplastic toys made exclusively from renewable organic resources not intended for human food and 100% biodegradable in water and soil.

"Bio-on recently celebrated ten years in business," explains Marco Astorri, Bio-on Chairman and CEO, "and it wants to use this major partnership to help change the toys industry with innovative and truly sustainable biomaterials. Our bioplastic is not just 100% biodegradable; it also uses up production waste generated by nature. This is how our strategy differs from that used by some multinationals. Having sustainable raw materials is not enough. Many of these companies use sugar cane instead of oil but then use polluting chemicals in the production process to make a non-biodegradable polyester. This approach contrasts with our strategy that not only starts out with natural and sustainable ingredients but also guarantees an end product that is 100% natural and 100% biodegradable in nature."

In the next few months, we will involve the entire value chain of the emerging bioeconomy, including research centres, universities and certifying bodies, through internationalisation processes and within an increasingly broad network to fully exploit Minerv Supertoys, the PHAs bioplastic grade designed and developed by Bio-on for the toys of the future. After testing product samples, the Italian Toy Safety Institute (IISG a UL company), released its declaration of conformity for Minerv Supertoys in May 2017 - a real guarantee for children's health and safety: numerous tests demonstrated the absence of migration from Bio-on's bioplastic of chemical or metal compounds, solvents, monomers, plasticizers, aromatic compounds, N-nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances.

"We are proud," says Dr Gian Pietro Parmeggiani, Italeri Chairman and co-founder, "that we can continue the technical and scientific journey begun with Bio-on to develop and make toys with PHA bioplastic through the Minerv Supertoys Program. Italeri Spa will face this new challenge bolstered by its almost sixty years' experience on the market and implementing all its skills to ensure that we arrive at a result that can benefit those who will inherit our planet, i.e. children."

All the PHAs bioplastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates) developed by Bio-on are made from renewable plant sources with no competition with food supply chains. They guarantee the same thermo-mechanical properties as conventional plastics with the advantage of being 100% eco-sustainable and naturally biodegradable.

ITALERI S.p.A.
Italeri S.p.A was set up in the mid '60s in Bologna by two co-founders, Gian Pietro Parmeggiani and Giuliano Malservisi. The company has maintained its initial characteristics and is now a leader in the static modelling field, with a presence in over 50 countries in all continents. In 2001 Pama Trade Srl, a connected company, was founded to distribute and market the main international model and toy brands. Today the Italeri offer boasts 600 models, within an overall production of approximately 1,500 items, many of which are recognised as being unique on the global modelling scene. The Italeri range, which began with scale models of aeroplanes, broadened with the introduction of military vehicles, helicopters, ships, trucks, cars and motorcycles. The range is constantly being developed thanks to painstaking modelling research, detailed techniques and the careful design of dedicated models and lines. Italeri has entered into a number of collaborations with major international partners. In particular, it has launched collaboration projects that are unique in the sector, bringing modelling and videogames closer together for the very first time. For the last two years, it has run a project specifically dedicated to schools, aimed at raising awareness and enhancing the practice and culture of modelling amongst young people. The company has gained international recognition whilst remaining firmly rooted in Italy.

Italeri S.p.A. via Pradazzo 6/b 40012 Calderara di Reno (Bo) Mariangela Silva-Parmeggiani  Tel: +39 051 3175211
www.italeri.com

Bio-on S.p.A.
Bio-on S.p.A., an Italian Intellectual Property Company (IPC), operates in the bioplastic sector conducting applied research and development of modern bio-fermentation technologies in the field of eco-sustainable and completely naturally biodegradable materials. In particular, Bio-on develops industrial applications through the creation of product characterisations, components and plastic items. Since February 2015, Bio-on S.p.A. has also been operating in the development of natural and sustainable chemicals for the future. Bio-on has developed an exclusive process for the production of a family of polymers called PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) from agricultural waste (including molasses and sugar cane and sugar beet syrups). The bioplastic produced in this way is able to replace the main families of conventional plastics in terms of performance, thermo-mechanical properties and versatility. Bio-on PHAs is a bioplastic that can be classified as 100% natural and completely biodegradable: this has been certified by Vincotte and by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). The Issuer's strategy envisages the marketing of licenses for PHAs production and related ancillary services, the development of R&D (also through new collaborations with universities, research centres and industrial partners), as well as the realisation of industrial plants designed by Bio-on.

Bio-on press information
Simona Vecchies +393351245190 - press@bio-on.it - Twitter @BioOnBioplastic  www.bio-on.it