Newell Rubbermaid's Paper Mate Brand Launches First Widely Available Biodegradable* Pen

New line of pens and mechanical pencils help consumers go green with a majority of components that break down in soil/home compost in about a year

ATLANTA, May 4, 2010 - Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL) today announced its Paper Mate(R) brand is
bringing innovation to the everyday writing experience and helping consumers
go green with the introduction of Paper Mate Biodegradable* - the first
widely available line of pens and mechanical pencils made with a majority of
biodegradable components, which break down in soil/home compost in about a
year.

(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100504/CL97458)

"The Paper Mate Biodegradable* pen and pencil were developed based on
insights that consumers desire simple, affordable ways to incorporate greener
practices into everyday activities at school, home or the office," said Bill
Mullenix, President of Newell Rubbermaid's Everyday Writing global business
unit. "This is the first line of biodegradable* writing instruments to be
widely available to consumers globally. By offering a unique combination of
performance and affordability, we're making it easy for consumers to be
greener."

The Paper Mate Biodegradable* line is the latest demonstration of Paper
Mate's ongoing commitment to the environment. In 2009, the brand launched a
line of products made from recycled sources that includes the Paper Mate
FlexGrip Ultra(R) Recycled Ball Point Pen made from 70 percent recycled
material, Paper Mate Earth Write(R) Recycled Pencil made from 100 percent
recycled wood and Paper Mate Write Bros.(R) Recycled Ball Point Pen made from
80 percent recycled material, along with Liquid Paper(R) DryLine(R) Grip
Recycled Correction Film made from 67 percent recycled material. In addition,
Newell Rubbermaid Office Products brands including Paper Mate(R), Sharpie(R)
and Expo(R) this year announced partnerships with TerraCycle(TM), the
upcycling company that finds new ways to repurpose items that would otherwise
be thrown away, to create the world's first program to collect and reuse or
recycle pens, markers and other writing instruments. These products and
programs add up to a robust green offering from the Paper Mate brand.

"Across Newell Rubbermaid businesses and brands, we are continually
studying our consumers to help us design and deliver innovative solutions
that also offer performance and value," said Lisa King, Vice President of
Insights and Innovation for Newell Rubbermaid. "Paper Mate Biodegradable* was
developed as a direct result of consumer insights that showed a significant
consumer desire for more environmentally conscious products offered at an
affordable price."

While refreshing the image of the iconic Paper Mate brand and bringing
innovation to the everyday writing category, Paper Mate Biodegradable*
continues to provide the smooth writing experience consumers desire. In fact,
Paper Mate Biodegradable* pens feature a new writing system that delivers
darker, more vibrant lines and greater smoothness than many conventional ball
point systems.

Paper Mate Biodegradable* products look and feel like conventional
plastic, but their compostable components are a bio-plastic made from
plant-derived sugar, an annually renewable resource. When disassembled and
placed in yard soil or home compost, they decompose in about a year,
increasing compost and reducing waste. Additionally, the products are
packaged in 100-percent PVC-free recyclable material.

The Paper Mate Biodegradable* pen is available in black, blue, red or
purple ink and retails for approximately US$1.70. The mechanical pencil comes
in 0.5mm or 0.7mm lead sizes and retails for about US$2.70. Both are
currently available wherever Paper Mate office products are sold in the
United States and Canada and will be available globally later this year.

For more information about Paper Mate Biodegradable* pens and mechanical
pencils, the TerraCycle upcycling program or the full portfolio of Paper Mate
green products, visit www.papermate.com.

* 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.

About Newell Rubbermaid

Newell Rubbermaid Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a global marketer of
consumer and commercial products with 2009 sales of approximately US$5.6
billion and a strong portfolio of brands, including Rubbermaid(R), Sharpie(R),
Graco(R), Calphalon(R), Irwin(R), Lenox(R), Levolor(R), Paper Mate(R),
Dymo(R), Waterman(R), Parker(R), Goody(R), Technical Concepts(TM) and
Aprica(R).

This press release and additional information about Newell Rubbermaid are
available on the company's Web site, www.newellrubbermaid.com.

NWL-PR

Nancy O'Donnell, Vice President, Investor Relations, +1-770-418-7723, or Connie Bryant, Manager, Public Relations, +1-770-418-7516, both of Newell Rubbermaid Inc.