Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLX) today announced that Telles, its joint venture with Archer Daniels Midland Company that produces Mirel™ bioplastics, has collaborated with Teknor Color Company to develop a range of color concentrates for use with Mirel resin. The newly developed color concentrates are formulated using Mirel base resins and meet ASTM D6400 and EN 13432 standards for compostability and biodegradability.

“Teknor developed this series of color concentrates for use with Mirel PHA in direct response to customer demands for a wider range of bioplastic colorants,” said John Wood, Technical Manager with Teknor Color.

The new Mirel colorants are designed to be useful for a wide range of injection molding, sheet, film, and thermoforming applications. Colors are currently being used in the Mirel injection molding grade for laboratory material handling trays, and several colors have been developed for use in consumer retail products. In addition, a black concentrate is currently being used in the Mirel film grade for agricultural mulch film field trials.

“The Telles team is continually striving to enhance the versatility of Mirel in order to provide customers with a performance product that meets the quality standards of their brands,” said Bob Findlen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Telles. “We are proud of the collaborative work that has been accomplished with Teknor, our preferred provider of color concentrates to brand owners and their processing partners.”

“Drawing on decades of experience formulating colorants for use in all thermoplastics processes and all plastics applications, we at Teknor are confident that we can meet the color requirements of a broad range of companies that process Mirel resins,” added Mr. Wood.

Metabolix and Telles are presenting and exhibiting at NPE 2009, The International Plastics Showcase, in Chicago, IL the week of June 22, 2009. They are located at booth #W119020, in the West Hall.

About Mirel Bioplastics

Mirel is a family of bioplastic materials with the physical properties of petroleum-based resins, yet with a unique combination of being biobased and biodegradable when disposed in natural soil and water environments, home composting systems, and in industrial composting facilities in areas where such facilities are available. The rate and extent of Mirel’s biodegradability will depend on the size and shape of the articles made from it.