Go Green for Back-to-School With the Paper Mate Plant-A-Pen Challenge

New line of biodegradable** pens and pencils feature components that break down in your backyard

OAK BROOK, Ill., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, U.S. consumers purchase nearly 12 million writing instruments*. This back-to-school season, Paper Mate®, a global leader in stylish, innovative writing instruments, is encouraging families to choose a greener alternative while also involving them in a fun and easy science experiment they can do in their own backyard.

It's called the Paper Mate Plant-A-Pen Challenge. Here's how it works:

• Find a spot in the backyard and bury the biodegradable** components of Paper Mate's new Biodegradable pen or mechanical pencil. Place a Popsicle stick or reusable garden marker next to the site so you can easily locate it later.
• Check on the pen components at various times throughout the year. Watch the stages in real-time as the components biodegrade back into the soil or view a time-lapsed video of the entire process on www.papermate.com.
• About a year later, revisit the site and dig to see what's left of the pen components.

"This fun project gives parents a hands-on way to get their children excited about science and helping the environment," said Kanan Banerjee, director of marketing for Paper Mate. "It also empowers kids to make a difference, even when shopping for school supplies."

The new Paper Mate Biodegradable** products are the latest step in Paper Mate's ongoing commitment to the environment. The biodegradable components are made from plant-derived sugar, a renewable resource. Once the biodegradable components are disassembled and placed in soil or home compost, they naturally decompose in about a year, producing less waste and more compost. The products are also packaged in 100 % PVC-free recyclable material.

The Paper Mate Biodegradable** pen comes in black, blue, red or purple ink and retails for about $1.70. The mechanical pencil is available in 0.5mm or 0.7mm lead sizes and retails for about $2.70. Both are available wherever Paper Mate office products are sold. Both products are also featured in a TV ad airing on select NBC stations, including the Today Show, Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live and the Emmy Awards.

GO GREEN THE WRITE WAY

In addition to the new Biodegradable** products, Paper Mate offers a complete line of products made with recycled sources, and recently introduced an innovative new upcycling program to find new ways to repurpose writing instruments. Go green with the Paper Mate® FlexGrip Ultra® Recycled Ball Point Pen, made from 70 % recycled material; Paper Mate® Earth Write® Recycled Pencil, made from 100 % recycled wood; Paper Mate® Write Bros.® Recycled Ball Point Pen, made from 80 % recycled material; and Liquid Paper® DryLine® Grip Recycled Correction Film, made from 67 % recycled material. Paper Mate's upcycling program, created in partnership with TerraCycle™, is the world's first program to collect and reuse or recycle pens, markers and other writing instruments while also helping raise funds for non-profit organizations, including schools and charities nationwide. For more information on the program, visit www.papermate.com.

SHARE THE LOVE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Teachers spend hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets on school supplies each year. Paper Mate wants to show teachers some love this back-to-school season with its "I Pick Paper Mate/Share the Love and Make a Difference" campaign***. This exclusive Facebook promotion makes sharing the love easy. Simply visit www.facebook.com/PaperMate and select your level of support:

• I Love Paper Mate: Collect qualifying Paper Mate UPCs now through January 14, 2011. Encourage your school, family, coworkers and local businesses to help. The first 400 eligible participants to register and send in just 25 qualifying UPCs during the promotion period will receive $50 in Paper Mate products. The three participants who submit the most qualifying UPCs during the promotion period will win one of three prizes - $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 in Paper Mate products for their favorite school****!
• I Like Paper Mate: If you "like" Paper Mate on Facebook, Paper Mate will donate $1 of product to underprivileged kids, up to a maximum donation of $20,000 in product.
• I Pick Paper Mate: Upload a picture of you and your favorite Paper Mate product with a description of why that product is your favorite and receive a free pen or pencil ($2 retail value) from Paper Mate*****.

Visit Paper Mate on Facebook and get started today. For complete details on all the Paper Mate earth-conscious products, visit www.papermate.com.

*As reported by WIMA, Writing Instruments Manufacturers Association, 2007.

**The majority of the Paper Mate Biodegradable pen and pencil components biodegrade in soil or home compost in about a year. See disassembly instructions on packaging.

***Official rules for all promotions that are part of this campaign can be found at www.facebook.com/PaperMate. Eligibility is limited to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. who are 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited. All three promotions began 6/28/10. The "I Love" and "You Like" promotions end on 1/14/11 and the "I Pick" promotion ends on 9/30/10.

****Must be an accredited school (excludes home schools).

*****Until allocated supply of 60,000 pens/pencils is exhausted.

Paper Mate Biodegradable**: A Unique Material

The biodegradable components of the new Paper Mate Biodegradable** pens and pencils are made from Mirel™ bioplastics. The Paper Mate Biodegradable** pen and pencil components are designed to biodegrade in soil or home compost systems according to ISO 20200 and ISO17556. Mirel is produced from plant-derived sugar, a renewable resource, providing an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Mirel bioplastic materials biodegrade through a natural process, allowing disposal of the biodegradable components of the Paper Mate pens in your own backyard soil or home compost, where they will biodegrade in about a year. However, like nearly all bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel is not designed to biodegrade in conventional landfills. For more information about the biodegradability properties, visit www.mirelplastics.com.

About Paper Mate®:

As one of the world's best-known and most appreciated brands, Paper Mate allows people to express themselves using innovative, easy-to-use and comfortable writing instruments, from pens and pencils to highlighters. Paper Mate is a brand of Newell Rubbermaid Office Products, a worldwide leader in the manufacturing and marketing of writing instruments, art supplies , technology and office products, with brands such as Parker®, Waterman®, Sharpie®, EXPO®, Liquid Paper, DYMO® and Rolodex®.

About sustainability at Newell Rubbermaid:

Newell Rubbermaid's Sustainability Vision is to be an eco-efficient company where excellence in environmental stewardship and sustainable innovation build Brands That Matter™ and create value for our shareholders, consumers and customers.  The launch of the new Paper Mate Biodegradable* * range is an example of how we are striving to be environmental stewards and drivers of sustainable innovation through our brands.  In addition, we are laying the foundation to become an eco-efficient company and realize both the economic and environmental benefits at our operations and in our supply chain by focusing our efforts on energy, waste reduction and resource conservation, and green materials and sourcing.

SOURCE Paper Mate