The new pen will be the first made in Brazil with biodegradable and compostable components. Cereplast's Compostables are made from its Ingeo PLA corn, wheat, tapioca, and potato starches. "Since 2009, we have been searching for the right compostable, biodegradable plastic resin that would create products that wouldn't have a negative impact on the environment and found the perfect fit from Cereplast," says Arnaldo Di Giuseppe, CEO of S.R. Promocionais.

Cereplast CEO Frederic Scheer described the ballpoint pens as an excellent application for his company's compostable materials. "It is estimated that the 10 billion ink pens thrown away each year will take up to 400 years to break down in a landfill. The Cereplast solution provided in the Eko BIO pen creates a sustainable solution with lower greenhouse emissions than traditional plastics." Scheer is quoted as saying that South America seems to embrace the concept of sustainability and is willing to spend to have it.

Cereplast has been active in Latin America, and the Eko Bio pen joins applications including margarine tubs made by Bunge Alimentos, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Bunge, and a variety of cutlery, cups, plates, and carryout bags made by IraPlast-Krest, which is also Cereplast's Brazilian distributor. Earlier this year, Cereplast formed a new distribution agreement with ATSA Chile SA (Santiago, Chile) covering both Chile and Peru, other areas where Cereplast sees growing demand for sustainable materials.