RICHMOND, Va. – (May 19, 2008) –MeadWestvaco Corporation's (MWV) Natralock® Security Packaging received the Gold Innovative Green Award at the National Hardware Show® in Las Vegas last week. Natralock is a sustainable paperboard-based security packaging solution that offers an alternative to traditional plastic clamshells. It uses 50-60 percent less plastic on average than clamshells, without compromising security, visibility, or durability.

“Being honored as part of the first-ever Innovative Green Awards is a wonderful recognition of the hard work and serious commitment MWV has made in offering the marketplace a consumer-friendly, sustainable security packaging solution,” says Jennifer Scheps, marketing manager, Natralock Security Packaging, MWV.

An esteemed panel of home channel retailers and industry experts judged the myriad of products featured in the all-new Green Product World area at the show. Retailers were asked to judge the best “green, eco-friendly products” that address current, environmental concerns. Products were reviewed and then later judged on their green, eco-friendly and sustainable capabilities. A total of six awards were presented and covered two gold, silver, and bronze awards representing lawn, garden and outdoor living and hardline-oriented product categories.

When compared to clamshells, Natralock security packaging requires fewer raw materials, chemicals and less energy to produce, helping brand owners save on material, labor and manufacturing costs. Natralock packaging runs on most existing heat sealing and RF equipment using approximately one-third the energy required to process plastic clamshells, and reducing sealing times 40-60 percent on average. Consumers prefer Natralock packaging’s safer opening and improved shopping experience compared to the often injurious struggles with sharp-edged plastic clamshells.

Natralock security packaging features a proprietary tear-resistant paperboard, sealed around an APET or RPET plastic bubble. The paperboard can include 30 to 50 percent recycled content, is a renewable, easy-to-recycle material that reduces the use of plastic and provides superior price stability. The glare-free billboard it provides can be custom designed to differentiate consumer products and supports high quality reproduction for bolder graphics and special printing effects that enhance branding.

In addition to its direct sales, MWV will make Natralock security packaging more accessible to the marketplace through a selective licensing program. For more information on Natralock, please visit www.natralock.com.

About National Hardware Show

This year’s show, featuring Lawn & Garden World™, Homewares™ and New Product World™, was held May 6-8, 2008 and occupied the entire Las Vegas Convention Center. The combined events offered a comprehensive preview of the entire retail home enhancement marketplace with over 3,500 exhibitors. This year, the Show added exciting, new programs while expanding on existing ones to reflect current consumer trends and provide endless opportunities for retailers to source new products and gain a competitive edge in their respective market trading areas. The 2009 National Hardware Show will feature over 150 product categories and thousands of new products in over 2 million gross square feet of floor space when it takes places on May 5-7, 2009. For more information and updates on the 2009 National Hardware Show and Green Product World, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

Reed Exhibitions, which manages more than 460 events worldwide, is a member of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading provider of information-driven services and solutions. Reed offers integrated market access programs covering exhibitions, trade publications, direct marketing and the Internet to a database of 3.5 million in North America. Reed has North American offices in Norwalk, Conn., Waltham, Mass., Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas and Toronto, and sales and operations offices worldwide. (NYSE:RUK/ENL).

About MWV

MeadWestvaco Corporation (NYSE: MWV), provides packaging solutions to many of the world’s most-admired brands in the healthcare, personal and beauty care, food, beverage, media and entertainment, and home and garden industries. The company's businesses include Consumer & Office Products, Specialty Chemicals, and the Community Development and Land Management Group, which sustainably manages the company’s land holdings to support its operations, and to provide for conservation, recreation and development opportunities. With 24,000 employees worldwide, MWV operates in 30 countries and serves customers in more than 100 nations. MWV manages all of its forestlands in accordance with internationally recognized forest certification standards, and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the fourth consecutive year. For more information, please visit www.mwv.com.

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