The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Announces New ESG Priorities in 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report

August 17, 2020 - ScottsMiracle-Gro released its 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report, announcing its environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy for the next five years. The report, which was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, outlines how ScottsMiracle-Gro delivered on its corporate purpose––to GroMoreGood everywhere––for associates, communities, consumers and the environment. The report also provides an update on how the company responded during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep associates safe and support local communities while providing essential lawn and gardening products.

During 2019–2020, ScottsMiracle-Gro underwent a formal materiality assessment, following the guidelines of the GRI, to prioritize its most important ESG opportunities and risks and to further align its sustainability goals and commitments with stakeholder priorities. Based on that assessment, five key areas of focus were identified to drive ScottsMiracle-Gro’s sustainability strategy over the next five years:

• Product Stewardship and Safety
• Operations and Supply Chain
• Associate Engagement and Wellness
• Community Engagement
• Governance and Transparency

In the coming years, the company will continue reporting on its progress of benchmarking, goal setting and continuous improvement around these five ESG focus areas.

Other highlights from the report include:

Products

• Invested nearly $40 million in research, product development and innovation
• Introduced Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics™––A full line of OMRI-listed plant foods, potting mixes and garden soils offering gardeners the performance they expect with fully organic ingredients
• Certified the majority of paper fiber-based packaging as sustainably sourced by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and are striving for 100%
• Partnered with the Pollinator Stewardship Council on The Bee Responsible program, which gives consumers clear, concise tips to follow in using Ortho® products responsibly

Operations

• Diverted 17,216 tons of waste from landfills in 2019, achieving an overall diversion rate of 58% across all core business North America operations
• Introduced a new process for recycling plastic trimmings at Hawthorne’s Centennial manufacturing facility in Vancouver, WA, which kept nearly 400,000 pounds of plastic out of landfills in 2019
• Sourced and produced each Miracle-Gro® soil bag, on average, within a 120-mile radius

Communities

• Pledged to connect 10 million children to the benefits of gardens and greenspaces by the end of 2023; reached 2.1 million children in 2019
• Provided cash grants and product donations to 390 garden and greenspace projects, reaching thousands of people with fresh food and opportunities to connect with the natural world and their neighbors
• Reached 142 million Americans with water stewardship messages and programming through a national network of environmental partners
• Expanded pollinator habitat by 152,460 square feet and reached nearly 49,000 people online with pollinator messages in 2019 through a partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)

People

• Recognized as a Wonderful Workplace for Columbus Young Professionals as well as a Top Place to Work by Columbus CEO
• Provided more than 92,000 hours for community service through Give Back to Gro program, which gives associates two paid days off per year to volunteer
• Raised more than $100,000 and distributed $68,500 in 31 grants to associates in need through the Associate Board’s Green for Jeans program

Read the Report