PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brussels,2 September 2009

BIRcommends Project Kaisei’s mission

Aftera four-weekjourney, Project Kaisei has completed its two-boat mission to theNorth Pacific Gyre with the return to San Francisco Bay of thefour-mast sailing boat Kaisei on 31 August. Throughout theexpedition, of which BIR was the main sponsor, the crew of the Kaiseiand of the New Horizon kept their public abreast of all findings andpreliminary research results via their blogs, Facebook and variousother means of modern online communication.

Duringa pressconference held on 1^stSeptember in San Francisco, John Chen of San José-based BIR memberTung Tai Group, commended the Project on behalf of the worldrecycling body’s President Dominique Maguin: “The Bureau ofInternational Recycling is very enthusiastic about the outcome ofthis project, which highlights in a unique way what BIR has beenpromoting at an international scale for the last 60 years: Recyclingand waste prevention are indispensable for the well-being of ourplanet.”

MrChen also pointedout that phenomena like the marine debris in the Gyre were a constantreminder that efforts must be increased to put the necessity forrecycling and waste prevention at the forefront of public awareness.Thanks to immense progress in recycling technology and techniques,products and materials indispensable for every-day life could bere-injected into the production cycle once they become obsolete,instead of ending in landfill and therefore becoming a burden to theenvironment.

Headded: “In orderto protect the environment and to ensure a sustainable management ofresources, recycling must be increased and facilitated. And products,at the stage of their conception, should be designed for recycling.The recycling industry represented by BIR has a wealth of experienceto respond to the world’s increasing need for solutions in thisrespect.”

Hecalled uponsupranational organisations such as the United Nations, the OECD, aswell as national governments and municipalities to continue to putinto place the necessary legislation and work hand in hand with theprivate recycling sector. It is crucial to raise public awarenessregarding the benefits of recycling and waste prevention in allcountries worldwide, with the help of the media and also theInternet.

Heconcluded hisspeech by saying: “We believe that Project Kaisei has contributedimmensely to increasing this public awareness, by using all channelsof contemporary communication, but even more so by their exemplaryenthusiasm and their unbreakable optimism.”

Inthe coming weeksand months, Project Kaisei will carry out its shore-side analysis andpublish the results of their findings.

Forfurtherinformation please contact:

ElisabethChrist
BIRCommunicationsDirector
+322 627 57 70