CIRCLE PINES, Minn., Oct. 14, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On September 28, 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that will significantly increase the amount of organic waste diverted from landfills. AB1826 will require businesses to separate their food scraps and yard trimmings for composting or anaerobic digestion while AB1594 will eliminate a loophole that allows yard trimmings and other green waste that is used as landfill cover to count as being "diverted" from landfills.

Vineet Dalal, Vice President and Director of Global Market Development for NTIC's Natur-Tec® Business Unit, said, "We are encouraged by California's new organics recycling legislation. When San Francisco implemented organics-diversion several years ago, it generated significant demand for our Natur-Bag® and Natur-Ware® line of compostable products. We now expect that this new California state-wide legislation will soon open up new opportunities for Natur-Tec."

Typically about 35-40% of municipal waste consists of organic food scraps and yard trimmings that are readily compostable. When this organic waste decomposes in an oxygen-deprived landfill it generates large quantities of methane, which is 23 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Furthermore, landfilling of organic waste can also result in water and air pollution. Composting organic waste not only avoids these impacts, but also reduces the volume being landfilled by 70% while creating valuable soil supplements needed in agriculture.

About Northern Technologies International Corporation

Northern Technologies International Corporation (Nasdaq:NTIC) develops and markets proprietary environmentally beneficial products and technical services either directly or via a network of joint ventures and independent distributors in over 50 countries. NTIC's Natur-Tec branded products are engineered using a proprietary and patented blend of compostable polymers and natural materials to create biobased (renewable resource based) and compostable products. These products do not contain any conventional non-biodegradable plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene. The exceptionally broad Natur-Tec bioplastics portfolio spans flexible film, foam, coatings, rigid injection molded materials and engineered plastics. By using Natur-Tec products as an alternative to conventional plastics, industry and consumers are able to better manage their carbon usage and move towards a zero carbon or carbon neutral footprint. For more information on Natur-Tec, visit www.natur-tec.com.

CONTACT: Natur-Tec

         (763) 225-6600

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