The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.
SMG.US | Manufacture of fertilizers and nitrogen compounds
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is a leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of branded consumer lawn and garden products. The company's product portfolio includes lawn fertilizers, grass seed products, lawn spreaders, watering and pest control products, and growing media. Scotts Miracle-Gro ...Show More
Better Health for All
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The company's core fertilizer products are subject to a recent lawsuit (October 2024) alleging the presence of PFAS
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, which are linked to severe, widespread health damage including developmental problems, cancers, and organ damage
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. This indicates a severe negative net health effect from principal goods and constitutes severe negative health externalities with no mentioned remediation efforts for these health impacts. Furthermore, a 2012 EPA settlement confirmed the distribution of over 100 noncompliant pesticide products with false or misleading statements and inadequate warnings on labels
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, resulting in over 40 Stop Sale orders
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and a $6.05 million civil penalty
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. The company also delayed communication about a product recall in April 2008
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.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is a manufacturer and distributor of lawn and garden products, and operates in the hydroponics industry. The provided articles contain no specific, concrete data points regarding financial services, lending practices, or deposit products offered to consumers. Therefore, all KPIs related to 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' are omitted due to a lack of relevant evidence. While mentions a 2023 goal of investing $2.5 million in criminal justice reform/economic inclusion, this is a community engagement goal and not evidence of a share of a loan/insurance book or profit reinvestment in community finance as defined by the KPIs.
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Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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The CEO to median employee pay ratio for fiscal year 2024 was 264:1.
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An engagement survey conducted with Marysville associates, with over 80% participation, found that 92% would recommend the company to a friend or family member.
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The company had zero substantiated labour-law or human-rights violations in the past three years (2023-2025); the most recent wage and hour violation was in 2021, and the most recent workplace safety or health violation was in 2017.
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During peak sales and production periods in fiscal 2025, approximately 14.49% of the workforce consisted of temporary labor.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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The company has established a Code of Conduct for all its suppliers, which covers worker treatment, workplace safety, environmental impact, and ethical business practices
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. Suppliers are contractually required to comply with applicable laws related to forced labor, slavery, and human trafficking
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. The company will take action, including termination, if a supplier violates these requirements
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.
Honest & Fair Business
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The company has a formal whistleblower protection policy, which includes an Ethics & Compliance HelpLine (800) 736-0379 for confidential and anonymous reporting
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. Training on ethical concerns is provided for all associates
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, and the Audit Committee reviews reports from the Chief Ethics Officer on a quarterly basis
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.
Kind to Animals
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The company does not conduct product testing on animals as a regular practice, relying on non-animal testing methods.
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Animal testing is only engaged via a third-party if mandated by a regulatory body, such as the EPA.
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No War, No Weapons
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The provided articles do not contain specific, quantitative data points or verifiable actions related to any of the 'No War, No Weapons' KPIs. While a Supplier Code of Conduct outlines ethical standards for suppliers, including sanctions compliance and conflict minerals reporting, it does not provide evidence of the company's adherence rates, specific outcomes, or the percentage of its supply chain certified conflict-free. Lobbying expenditures are reported
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,
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,
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, but the articles do not specify the nature of this lobbying in relation to arms control or peace initiatives. Therefore, no KPIs can be scored based on the evidence provided.
Planet-Friendly Business
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The company had an overall waste diversion rate of 58% across its core business North America operations in 2019, diverting 17,216 tons of waste from landfills that year.
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In 2023, it recycled 5.5 billion pounds of green waste.
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However, the company has a history of significant environmental compliance issues. In 2012, more than 100 of its products were found in violation of FIFRA, leading to over 40 Stop Sale, Use or Removal Orders and a civil penalty of $6.05 million.
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The company also faced multiple environmental violations in 2024, including hazardous waste and water pollution, resulting in fines.
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The company's annual Corporate Responsibility Report is prepared with consideration for the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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The company has no reported cultural appropriation incidents across the provided articles.
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No specific, quantitative data points were found for the remaining KPIs related to Respect for Cultures & Communities.
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Safe & Smart Tech
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SMG.US has not experienced any cybersecurity threats or incidents that materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition during fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023.
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The company provides regular and mandatory cybersecurity training for all associates, including continuous phishing simulations with additional training for those who fail.
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It offers excellent user data controls, allowing users to access, change, delete, opt-out of targeted advertising, object to processing, and revoke consent, and honors Global Privacy Control signals.
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SMG.US demonstrates a very strong commitment to regulatory compliance, aiming to comply with various laws like CCPA and CalECPA, and its CISO works closely with the legal team on cybersecurity compliance.
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For internal authentication, SMG.US uses PingFederate with SAML 2.0 for single sign-on across 50 applications for 7,500 employees.
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The company states it retains personal information only as long as necessary
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and conducts vulnerability identification and remediation with periodic external assessments and simulated attack exercises.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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The company recycled 5.5 billion pounds of green waste in 2023, converting it into growing media.
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It has also implemented packaging changes, including the O.M. Scott & Sons line using paper sacks made from over 90% FSC-certified paper, which meets an 85% pulp recovery threshold for curbside recyclability.
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Additionally, new flexible pouch packaging for Ortho Home Defense Max insecticide uses 90% less plastic compared to previous rigid containers.
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For customer waste education, the O.M. Scott & Sons packaging carries the How2Recycle label to assist customers with proper recycling.
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