ELMWOOD PARK, N.J./NEW YORK, February 3, 2011 – Marcal® Small Steps® today announces the launch of its inaugural Small Steps for Big Change Awards which will honor hometown heroes who are making environmental differences in their communities simply by taking small steps. Through February 25, 2011, people can nominate themselves or a hero they know at www.marcalsmallsteps.com/heroes. Five winners will be announced in April in honor of Earth Month, receiving a total of $10,000 in donations to be made in their names to environmental charities.

“The Marcal Small Steps brand is based on the philosophy that small actions can make a big environmental impact. Even something as simple as purchasing household paper products from 100% recycled paper makes a difference,” said MJ Jolda, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Marcal Small Steps. “This campaign is about honoring the everyday environmental heroes that normally fly under the radar, but are actually making a big impact in their communities and beyond.”

As we usher in a new year, Americans are resolving to be more eco-friendly. According to a survey by Opinion Research, 80 percent of Americans are planning to be greener in 2011, taking the type of small steps this program celebrates. Sixty-seven percent say they want to recycle more, 56 percent want to use more green products such as recycled paper or natural cleaning solutions, and 51 percent plan on making their home more energy efficient.

Prizes
Winners will be selected based on the creativity of their “small steps” for improving the environment, the impact of their actions and the ability to inspire other individuals to improve the environment. The prize structure follows:

• 1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER will have the honor to select a charity to receive $5,000 in his/her name.

• 1 FIRST PRIZE WINNER will have the honor to select a charity to receive $2,500 in his/her name.

• 1 SECOND PRIZE WINNER will have the honor to select a charity to receive $1,500 in his/her name.

• THIRD & FOURTH PRIZE WINNERS (1 each) will each have the honor to select a charity to receive $500 in his/her respective name.

Additionally, each winner and the person who nominated them will receive Marcal Small Steps paper products.

Green Judges
To kick-off the awards program, Marcal has selected five hometown heroes who embody the spirit of the Small Steps for Big Change Awards to act as judges.

• José Duarte – Boston, MA: As chef and owner of Taranta, a green restaurant focused on sustainability, José’s passion is food and the environment.
• Kathleen Margiotta – Morristown, NJ: Kathleen spearheads Morristown’s “Adopt a Spot” program. Volunteers adopt a part of the community for a year and are in charge of picking up trash, cleaning graffiti and clearing the area of weeds.
• Jennifer Newman – South Orange, NJ: Jennifer started an organic garden at Our Lady of Sorrows elementary school to provide a focus on healthy, sustainable living for the students and help the hungry of their community.
• Allison Shaewitz – Chicago, IL: With her motto of “add a little green to your daily routine,” Allison’s blog, Chicago Green Girl, offers readers easy and tangible ways to help the environment.
• Peter Stetson – Coventry, RI: A teacher at Coventry High School, Peter organized the school’s first paper and bottle recycling program.

Each judge is profiled on the Small Steps for Big Change Awards site at www.marcalsmallsteps.com/heroes to help raise additional awareness for their good works.