LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Repurpose®, Inc., leading innovators of premium, eco-friendly food service products for consumers based in Los Angeles, has partnered with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) to help bring their products to market faster and more effectively. Repurpose makes products exclusively from plants, instead of petroleum, and helps consumers use clean, green technology in their everyday life without sacrificing quality or convenience. Repurpose®
will be the first consumer products company in the LACI program and will take up residence in their innovative facility this summer. LACI, a joint venture of private and public investment, will provide Repurpose® with a robust new network of experts and capital in the clean tech space as well as make Repurpose® a larger part of the Los Angeles green sector.
"We are thrilled to be joining such a ground breaking group," said Lauren Gropper, Chief Executive Officer of Repurpose®. "LACI will help Repurpose deepen its relationship with the green sector while we continue to grow our brand in national retail stores."
Repurpose® currently sells high-quality and cost-effective plant-based hot and cold drink cups, plates, bowls, forks, knives and spoons, to various retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond, Gelson's, Bristol Farms, Raley's, and many others. Their mission is to educate consumers about the problems that petroleum-based products cause, and to offer them sustainable, affordable alternatives. Fans and supporters of Repurpose® include Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Ray, Alicia Silverstone, Tori Spelling, Sheryl Crowe, and Adam Levine among many others.
"While we're proud that LA became the largest city in the nation to approve a ban on plastic bags at supermarket checkout lines last year, legislation is the last line of defense. Using a cup or a fork once that will sit in a landfill for 1,000+ years doesn't fit with the brilliance of this region. Repurpose thinks differently, designing smart on all fronts from the get go, which is what we love about them," said Fred Walti, Executive Director of LACI. "LA leads the nation in recycling. With Repurpose, we're ready to begin to lead the nation in composting."
Many consumers don't realize that traditional cups, cutlery and plates are made from petroleum, meaning they will not biodegrade and most end up in landfills. Repurpose® products break down in a commercial compost setting in 90 days or less. The compost material from their products is then used to grow more plants creating a complete cradle-to-cradle setting when used optimally. If not composted, Repurpose® products still require less C02 to create, and are green through and through.
LACI was founded to help commercialize promising clean technologies that have a great team, a high potential for success, benefit the Los Angeles region, and create good, green jobs for Los Angelenos. For Repurpose, like others, it wasn't easy to get into LACI. There is stringent process for vetting companies that apply to participate in LACI Programs. With hundreds of applicants, less than 10% of the companies that apply are accepted.
About Repurpose®:
Repurpose products are made from plants, not petroleum, and are certified compostable. Founded in 2009, Repurpose® Compostables offers a line of high quality, compostable food service products for consumers at a reasonable price. Repurpose's mission is to educate the public about the problems of continuing to use petroleum-based plastic products while offering renewable, plant-based, compostable alternatives.
About LACI
The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) is a private nonprofit founded by the City of Los Angeles to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies in the Los Angeles region. Located in the center of the City's Cleantech Corridor, LACI offers flexible office space, CEO coaching and mentoring, and access to a robust network of experts and capital. Incubated companies operate in a range of sectors including Smart Grid infrastructure, energy efficiency, energy storage, electric transportation, and materials science. LACI works closely with the region's universities, business community, government institutions, capital markets and utilities to foster innovation and to grow the region's green economy. Learn more at www.laincubator.org
Find out more at www.repurposecompostables.com.
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