2023
Corporate
Responsibility
ReportTABLE OF CONTENTS
3 Introduction
4
Letter from Leadership
5 Who We Are
6
About ScottsMiracle-Gro
6
Purpose, Vision And Values
7 Our Approach to ESG
8Governance
10 Stakeholder Engagement
12
ESG Team
12
ESG Efforts
13
Materiality Assessment
15
ESG Focus Areas and Goals
18 Innovative Products
19
Research & Development
22 Regulatory Oversight
22 Formulation
23 Animal Testing Policy Statement
23 Packaging
24 Consumer Education
26 Operating Sustainably
27 Health And Safety
29 Waste

30 Water
33 Suppliers
35 Cultivating Strong Communities
36 Philanthropic Commitments
43 Supporting Our People
44 Our Culture
44 Cultural Attributes
45 Diversity and Human Rights
45 Associate Engagement
48 Associate Benefits and LiveTotal Health48 Compensation Philosophy
51
Associate Data
52 Appendix
53 Environmental Data
53 Environmental Fines & Settlements
53 Product Recalls or Withdrawals
54 Social Data
57 GRI Content Index
60 UN SDG Alignment
61
SASB Index

ABOUT THIS REPORTOur 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report, our twelfth report, represents data and disclosures covering
our 2022 fiscal year unless otherwise noted. This report has been prepared in reference to the GRI
Standards (2021) and with consideration for the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB’s)
Chemicals industry standard. In this report, we mapped our company’s sustainability efforts to theUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The UN SDGs with which our company
aligns and supports are indicated throughout this report using the SDG icons and are summarized in
the Appendix.
Throughout this report, we reference our company’s sustainability efforts and contributions. Oursustainability efforts are aligned with the following statement from the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA): To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans
and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.
The content of this report reflects facility operations of each subsidiary of The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Company, including The Hawthorne Gardening Company’s operations and AeroGarden, unlessspecifically identified. Please see our company’s Investor Relations page for consolidated financial
statements. Your input and feedback is important — please contact sustainability@scotts.com withany comments or questions.

Introduction

LETTER FROM LEADERSHIPINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

There are many aspects to corporate responsibility, and this report details
our broad and multi-faceted approach to positively impact our associates,
communities, customers and the planet. The overarching theme is our
purpose – to GroMoreGood, everywhere. It comes to life in our programs,
products, sustainability efforts and other initiatives to make the world abetter place.
As I reflect on 2022, it was among our most challenging years, fueled by anuncertain economy, rising inflation, supply chain shortages and weakened
consumer spending. Despite these macroeconomic pressures, wedemonstrated the hallmark strength and resilience that have contributed
to ScottsMiracle-Gro’s success since its founding in 1868. I’m most proud of
how we delivered for our stakeholders while solidifying our commitment togood corporate citizenship.
In the following pages, we tell the story of our innovation and work
towards a sustainable future, providing consumers with solutions toenjoy their lawns, gardens and greenspaces by working in concert withthe environment. Just as importantly, we cared for our associates andsupported programs to transform neighborhoods and provide kids with aleg up. The examples are many.

JIM HAGEDORN
Chairman and CEO, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

Looking forward, the social, environmental and economic challenges
continue to evolve. You can count on us to meet them head on. It’s what
we do, time and again. As always, we appreciate your support.
Sincerely,

Jim Hagedorn
Chairman and CEO
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

APPENDIX

ScottsMiracle-Gro World Headquarters in Marysville, Ohio
4 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INTRODUCTION

Who We Are

From a family general store to North America’s
market leader in lawn and garden as well as indoor
and hydroponic growing products, we are proudof our deep roots and history. Even today, we areheadquartered in Marysville, Ohio, only five miles
from where our company was founded in 1868.

ABOUT SCOTTSMIRACLE-GRO
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Our Corporate Responsibility Report demonstrates the ways inwhich we live our corporate purpose to GroMoreGood everywhere.
As the creator of many of America’s most trusted lawn and garden
brands, we embrace our responsibility and commitment to provide
innovative solutions for the betterment of our communities, ourconsumers, our business partners, our associates and the planet.
Together, we believe good can grow anywhere.
In 1868, our company began when O.M. Scott opened a storefrontin Marysville, Ohio, to provide products - such as seed for weedfree fields - to farmers. In the mid-1900s, we became known forthe development of quality lawn fertilizers and grass seeds for
consumer lawn care. In the 1990s, we significantly expanded our
product offering in the home lawn and garden industry, startingwith the merger of Scotts and Stern’s Miracle-Gro Products, Inc.,
founded in 1951 by Horace Hagedorn and Otto Stern in Long Island,
New York. The Miracle-Gro® brand is the industry leader in watersoluble garden plant foods. In that same decade, we acquired the
Ortho® brand in the U.S. and obtained exclusive rights to market
the consumer Roundup® brand, adding industry-leading weed,
pest and disease control products to the portfolio. Scotts®, Turf
Builder®, Miracle-Gro®, Ortho® and Roundup® brands make us themost widely recognized company in lawn and garden.
Approximately 6,000 regular associates help drive our mission
and make GroMoreGood a reality by delivering products andsolutions that help to create beautiful gardens, indoor growing
environments and landscapes that thrive. Our legacy is rooted intrust, innovation and doing the right thing.
Our operational footprint spans the United States, Canada, theNetherlands and China. In fiscal year 2022, we owned or leased 61
manufacturing, 24 distribution and six research and development
properties in these countries. Most manufacturing properties haveproduction lines, warehouses, offices and outdoor processing areas.
Our key consumer lawn and garden brands include Scotts® andTurf Builder® lawn fertilizer and Scotts® grass seed products;
Miracle-Gro® soil, plant food and gardening products; Ortho®
herbicides, insecticides and fungicides products; and Tomcat®
rodent control and animal repellent products. We are the exclusive
marketing agent of Bayer AG (“Bayer”) for the marketing anddistribution of certain Bayer consumer Roundup® branded
products in the United States and other specified countries.
6 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | WHO WE ARE

In addition, we have an equity interest in Bonnie Plants, LLC, a joint
venture with Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Inc. (“AFC”), focusedon planting, growing, developing, distributing, marketing andselling live plants.
Through our Hawthorne Gardening Company subsidiary, we area leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of lighting,nutrients, growing media, growing environments and hardware
products for indoor and hydroponic gardening in North America.
Among our brands are General Hydroponics®, Gavita®, Botanicare®,Agrolux®, Can-Filters®, Gro Pro®, Mother Earth®, HydroLogicTM
and Cyco®.

PURPOSE, VISION AND VALUES
Our purpose:

For Our Communities
By supporting gardens andgreenspaces that transformneighborhoods, get kids
outdoors and bring people
together. And by developing
programs that help kids fromunderserved communities
understand and meet their fullpotential to become the leadersof tomorrow.

For Our Consumers
By providing products,
knowledge and support
that allow them to express
themselves. By celebrating theiraccomplishments and allowing
their stories to shine as living
examples of the true power ofgardens and greenspaces.

To GroMoreGood® everywhere. We believe that everyone can growmore good, not only in their own backyards, but effectively in any
place they choose. We invest in the potential of this belief across all
the people we serve inside and outside of the company.
Our vision:
To help people of all ages express themselves on their own piece of
the Earth. Our actions as a company, and as individuals, are guided
by our cultural attributes. We ask ourselves what a good company
would do and strive to act accordingly.

For Our Associates
By putting our associates
first. Helping them to growprofessionally and achieve theirpersonal best. Providing paid
time off to volunteer in thecommunity. And by taking aholistic approach to wellness
and safety in order to support a
LiveTotal Health mindset.

For The Planet
By designing and continuously
improving products to work inconcert with the environmentand supporting the work of ourenvironmental partners, both ofwhich help provide for a moresustainable future and inspirea new generation of associates
and gardeners to GroMoreGood.

Our Approachto ESG
We drive continuous improvement in our operations
and products while advancing sustainability.
We accomplish this through the ongoing execution of
our ESG strategies and with a leadership structure thatprovides strong direction and accountability.

GOVERNANCE
INTRODUCTIONLEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AND BOARD OF
DIRECTORS

BUSINESS ETHICS AND
CODE OF CONDUCTWHOWE ARE

Our Board of Directors, the highest governance body at our company,
has five standing committees to assist with oversight responsibilities:
Finance, Audit, Innovation & Technology, Compensation &Organization and Nominating & Governance. Each committee’s
charter can be found on our website.

Our integrity and commitment to ethics far outweigh any individual
personal or business goal.

OUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Our management team and Board of Directors collaborate toengage with and oversee environmental, social and governance(ESG) topics, risks and opportunities, including climate change andhuman rights. The Board’s Nominating & Governance Committee
oversees our company’s ESG-related policies, practices, performance,
reporting and goals. The Innovation and Technology Committee
and the Nominating & Governance Committee are responsible forour company’s product-related ESG policies and practices. The chairof the Nominating & Governance Committee serves as the primary
ESG liaison between management and the Board of Directors, and,with the support of management, briefs the Board on sustainability
strategy development, setting and managing climate-related targets
and measuring and managing our company’s greenhouse gas (GHG)
inventory. While we do not specifically link ESG performance to
executive compensation, our Board and leadership team are invested
in this process and updated quarterly on our progress toward
ESG goals.
Diversity is one of many important factors considered in Board
composition. The Nominating & Governance Committee evaluates
the entirety of each Board candidate’s credentials, including
experience, skill, age, diversity of background, race and gender, as
well as judgment, strength of character and specialized knowledge.
Our Board of Directors reflects wide ranging skills, experiences,backgrounds and opinions to foster effective decision making andpromote our company’s culture. In FY22 two of our 12 Directors were
women and one was Hispanic/Latino. In FY23, with the departureand election of a new director, currently, three of our 12 Directors are
women and two are Hispanic/Latino.

Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics guides our actions
and decision making as a company and as individuals, from ourassociates to our Board of Directors, and advances our commitment
to operating ethically and leading with integrity. Everyone working foror with ScottsMiracle-Gro, including associates, suppliers and otherbusiness partners, is expected to conduct business legally and within
the bounds of our expectations for conduct and ethical behavior. To
this end, we are transparent about our standards and provide clear
communication regarding our policies and compliance expectations.
We empower associates to ask questions, raise concerns and reportissues without fear of reprisal. They can do so through multiple
channels, from speaking about their concerns with their directsupervisor to sending a confidential letter to the Audit Committee.
In addition, our 24/7 Ethics and Compliance Helpline provides
another anonymous method to report concerns and violations
around our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Periodically, we
remind our associates of our reporting channels through training
and communications. Departing associates are given an opportunity
to raise concerns around unethical conduct or unfair treatment
during exit interviews. These concerns on Code on Business Conduct
and Ethics issues are thoroughly investigated. We do not tolerate
retaliation and further investigate allegations of retaliation.
Along with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, ourEnvironmental, Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity/
Anti-Discrimination policies inform our decision-making andactivities. These policies, grounded in best practices and industry
standards where we operate, are periodically reviewed and updated
to facilitate continuous improvement and identify emerging issues ofconcern for our business.

SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCTCorporate integrity, responsible product sourcing and the safety
and well-being of workers across the global supply chain are vitally
important. Our supply chain partners share in our commitment to
8 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESGLEGAL UNIVERSITY
In 2022, our legal department offeredassociates more foundational legal training
to understand important aspects of theCompany and be empowered to operate
effectively while managing risk. This led tothe development of Legal University, a seriesof high-level 15-minute training sessions on
17 different legal and compliance topics toprovide associates with tips, best practices
and awareness of issues crucial to their
day-to-day work. In 2022, over 300 hours of
training were delivered by in-house legal
and compliance experts both virtually andin-person.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE ARE

creating high-quality products and prioritizing safety, security and human rights. Ourcommitment to these principles is exemplified by our Supplier Engagement program,run by our procurement and quality groups. In 2022, we implemented our Supplier Codeof Conduct which will be supported by a Supplier Engagement Program that will include
international audits of our suppliers by a third party.
We provide suppliers and business partners with our written policies and standards
concerning ethical business and human rights practices through our Supplier Code of
Conduct. We believe in providing full transparency to our associates, partners, suppliers,
consultants and others with whom we do business, and we work to clearly communicate
our expectation that they conduct business according to our standards.

ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENTOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIXWe define risk as any event that may disrupt our global operations, goals, businessobjectives and/or related strategic initiatives. Our enterprise risk management approachenables us to remain flexible and effectively pursue our business objectives andrelated strategies that are critical to our success. We are committed to upholding ourenterprise risk management approach, including our ability to identify material risks andappropriately mitigate and manage those risks.
A cross-functional group of leaders participates in our risk identification process annually.
We seek to identify the total universe of potential risks to our business and consider how
we define and prioritize those risks, how our business may be affected by them and what
individuals and teams should be responsible for responding to and mitigating thoserisks. Members of our cross-functional group prioritize the identified risks by scoring
based on four categories: impact, likelihood, business capability to mitigate and velocity.
Once all identified risks are scored, we calibrate and align the most significant risks withappropriate executive management team members. Each owner of significant riskspresents a risk management plan to various subcommittees of the Board of Directors.
These risk owners manage these risks throughout the fiscal year as a fluid outcome of thisannual program.
As a part of our goal to continuously improve, we continually seek opportunities
to strengthen our Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program. We aim to makeconnections throughout every level of our organization so associates and leaders
understand the impact of risk identification and mitigation. We listen to customer
feedback and respond to evolving expectations and requests, including ESG
considerations. We evaluate best-in-class ERM practices to progress along the ERM
maturity model and give consideration to what will benefit our program.
We take a holistic and proactive approach to risk management and strive toward practices
that allow us to manage risk and achieve our business objectives to the best possible
outcomes. As we prepare to accommodate a changing world and environment, we will
focus on climate change considerations and prepare for upcoming climate regulations.

9 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESGLAUNCH OF SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCTAND SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
At ScottsMiracle-Gro, corporate integrity, responsible product sourcing and the safety
and well-being of workers across the global supply chain are vitally important. In 2022,
we adopted a Supplier Code of Conduct which establishes minimum standards thatmust be met by a supplier who sells goods to or does business with us, regarding:

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treatment of its workers
workplace safety
impact of its activities on the environment
its ethical business practices

All our suppliers must treat workers with respect and dignity, and all labor must
be voluntary. No supplier shall support or engage in slavery, forced labor, humantrafficking or child labor in any part of its supply chain. Suppliers must maintain a safe
work environment and refrain from practices that may be coercive, such as requiring
employees to surrender identification papers, incur debt or hinder their freedom of
movement and/or ability to terminate employment. The Code outlines expectations
to compensate workers fairly and to establish humane work hours. Additionally,
suppliers are prohibited from discriminating, abusing or harassing employees basedon race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, military
status, religion, age, marital or pregnancy status, disability or any other characteristic
other than the worker’s ability to perform the job.
In 2022, we introduced a Supplier Engagement Program to help ensure Supplier
Code of Conduct expectations are being met. Through this program, we, or a thirdparty on our behalf, conduct audits of our suppliers to verify conformity to the Codeand identify improvement opportunities, among other things. If opportunities are
identified, we require corrective action plans and oversee implementation. If the
supplier is unable or unwilling to comply, we may take any available action, including
termination of the supplier.

COMPLIANCE
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE ARE

Our Corporate Compliance team uses an enterprise-wide,risk-based approach to identify and prioritize complianceobjectives company-wide. This team operates within our
Legal Department and focuses on integrating complianceobjectives into our business processes for a variety of topics,
such as product and pesticide compliance, cybersecurity,
anti-bribery, anti-corruption and sanctions compliance.

PRIORITIZING CYBERSECURITY
AWARENESSOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an annual initiative thataims to highlight the importance of cybersecurity and helps
individuals and organizations reduce their own risk of acyber attack or data breach. As our society and organization
becomes increasingly reliant on technology, cybersecurity’s
importance also grows. At ScottsMiracle-Gro, everyone hasa responsibility for cybersecurity, which is the driver behindproviding our associates with tools to implement stronger
security practices along with education and training to raiseuser awareness of cyber risks.
Each October, our cybersecurity team sharescommunications including articles, polls and live training
sessions. All associates are encouraged to participate
and share the cybersecurity actions they take on our
online associate community, The Vine, with the hashtag#BeCyberSmart. If we all take ownership over cybersecurity,
we believe our online world will be safer and more resilient.

10 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESGSTAKEHOLDERENGAGEMENT
We advocate for the needs of our stakeholders, including
associates, consumers, customers, industry associations andbusiness partners, by engaging with local, state, national
and international organizations that align with our strategic
and ESG priorities. We also engage with various partners
through research collaborations and nonprofit partnerships.
Industry, trade and other associations: We participate in
and/or partner with associations that help represent ourinterests across diverse aspects of our business. Some of theorganizations include:

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•

American Association of Plant Food Control Officials
American Association of Pesticide Control Officials
American Association of Seed Control Officials
American Association of National Advertisers
American Seed Trade Association
Ameripen
BIO
Biological Products Industry Alliance
Coalition for Sustainable Organics
Conseil patronal de l’environnement du Québec
CropLife America/CropLife Canada
Household and Commercial Products Association –Lawn and Horticulture Products Working Group
Mulch & Soil Council
US Compost Council
Compost Council of Canada
Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
Fertilizer Canada
Electro-Fed Canada
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Council For Federal Cannabis Regulation
Québec Mineral Exploration Association
National Cannabis Industry Association
Public Affairs Association of Canada
The Fertilizer Institute
U.S. Cannabis Council
Resource Innovation Institute
Regennabis
Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics
Southern California Water Coalition
Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Professional associations: We encourage our associates
to actively participate in professional associations
related to their disciplines, such as biology, chemistry,
packaging, engineering, legal, compliance, risk, finance,
audit, supply chain, marketing and communications.
Professional memberships support career development andadvancement and provide access to innovation, resources
and research that enhance the work of associates.
Political and lobbying contributions: We engage in public
policy that impacts our company and supports the issues
we care about. Our advocacy includes educating elected
and appointed officials at all levels of government on avariety of issues that affect our company. We approachadvocacy directly and indirectly, by building relationships
through our External Affairs team, and by leveraging stateand federal trade associations to create these connections.
We support groups that facilitate conversations among
government officials and industry experts with the goalof creating collaborative and informed policy. Last year
we participated in the Council of State Governments, theResource Innovation Institute, Regennabis and National
Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Stewardship Political Action
Committee (SPAC) was created in 2001 to invest in impactful
work that supports our mission. The committee is supported
by associates and members of our Board of Directors. To
learn more about the SPAC, visit the Federal Elections
Commission website at www.fec.gov and search for The
Scotts Miracle-Gro Stewardship PAC.
Under certain conditions and in accordance with applicablelaws, ScottsMiracle-Gro donates corporate dollars to
candidates from either political party who support our
freedom to operate and share our views on importantbusiness issues.
Our company also works with groups to educate
policymakers and the public. This includes providing
consistent, sustained support to a 501(c)(4), The Good
Growth Alliance, to advance policy and educational efforts
related to issues impacting society and our business,customers and consumers.

WHERE WE STAND ON POLICY ISSUESINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Pesticide Stewardship:
We embrace our responsibility to provide consumers with effective
pest control products that are easy to use and safe when usedas directed. To do this, we advocate in support of a scientifically
based regulatory system, provide comprehensive consumer
education through communication tools across multiple mediums
and product labeling and commit to a trusted research anddevelopment process that always seeks a better solution.
Water Stewardship:
For decades, we have prioritized protecting and conserving water,
recognizing our responsibility to navigate the environmental
challenges of drought and water quality without sacrificing thebenefits of outdoor greenspaces. Our flexible solutions enablepeople to enjoy or reimagine outdoor spaces that work withnature, not against it. Lawns and greenspaces can help to protect
groundwater quality, reduce noise and glare, dissipate heat andreduce energy required to cool nearby buildings. We focus on
evolving our formulations and application devices and providing
education for consumers to make them better water stewards.
We support water protection efforts across the U.S., advocate forincreased participation and funding to solve water quality andscarcity issues and work to create a sustained dialogue on this topic.
Our advocacy is designed to ensure that future generations canenjoy the essential benefits of greenspaces and clean, fresh water.
Peat Stewardship:
We have developed an approach to
Beginning in 2019
responsibly produce and use peat. It starts
and continuingwith evaluating our continued need for peat,through 2023, we
and, where it remains the most appropriate
will have reduced
ingredient option, reducing the amountpeat in our Miracleof peat we include in our soils and potting
Gro Garden Soil bymixes. Beginning in 2019 and continuing
50 percent
through 2023, we will have reduced peat in
our Miracle-Gro Garden Soil by 50 percent.
We will have reduced peat in our Miracle-Gro
Potting Mix by over 20 percent in this same period.
We critically evaluate the components of our substrates to push
the boundaries on reducing peat. Alternatives include woodfiber, rice hulls, coir, sugar cane bagasse and composted dairy
fiber. Unfortunately, many alternatives do not achieve the same

11 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESG

results as peat. Compost often needs more watering, can containcontaminants and can have stability concerns that lead to plant
nutrition issues. Wood materials can have variable PH levels, andcoir can contain high salt content, leading to negative effects onplant growth. We will continue to innovate our growing media
products, designed with zero or reduced peat, with gardening
and growing success at the forefront. Read more about ourcommitment to responsible peat production in Responsibly
Sourcing Peat Moss.
Cannabis Legalization:
We design and sell products that help people express themselves
through growing and gardening, and we understand that
expression is deeply personal. Some of our consumers use products
to legally grow cannabis for their personal enjoyment or for theplant’s medical benefits. As a leading provider of nutrients, plant
supplements, growing media, air filtration and lighting used
for hydroponic and indoor gardening, our company is uniquely
positioned to help people who produce cannabis underauthorized law.
We support federal and state efforts to develop responsible andeffective regulation governing legalized cannabis. This includes
sustaining support to the 501(c)4, The Good Growth Alliance, which
advocates for policy and education on topics that impact society
and our business, customers and consumers, including cannabis
legalization. We are committed to working with legislative andregulatory bodies at all levels of government to help achieve thesegoals. We are equally committed to fighting for policies to create amore just and equitable society and industry as reform measures
advance and states confront the complex legacy of racial, social andeconomic inequality tied to cannabis.
Nonprofit Organizations:
We are dedicated to engaging with nonprofit organizations thatalign with our priorities. Our company works most directly withorganizations that enable gardens and greenspaces, engage youth,
protect water quality and efficiency and advance social justice.
Customers:
We engage with our retail partners regularly through conversations,surveys and annual updates to discuss and align our corporate
responsibility programs.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESConsumers:
We maintain open channels of communication with our consumers
to discuss our company, products and sustainability efforts. We
use our communication channels to educate consumers on our
ingredients and our products, including how to use them safely inaccordance with the labels and instructions.

together—across our organization and with stakeholders—to create
products that work for people, pets and the environment, while
investing in our associates and local communities.

Suppliers:
We engage with our suppliers annually through our supplierconference and throughout the year as issues may arise. We work
directly with suppliers on priority issues for us, such as packaging,raw material sourcing and carbon emissions.

Our cross-functional ESG team meets regularly on our ESG strategy,
establishing and reporting on benchmarks, setting new goals,
taking action toward established goals on ESG topics and creating
implementation and monitoring plans. Representatives fromOperations, Supply Chain, Environmental Health & Safety, Researchand Development, Human Resources, Marketing, Corporate Affairs,
Regulatory and Finance work together to implement our short-,
medium- and long-term ESG programs and initiatives. Accountable
to senior leadership, the team communicates priorities and plans
throughout our company structure, from leaders to associates, andprovides updates at Board meetings.

Local Communities:
We take action to maintain strong relationships with thecommunities in which we live, work and operate by following
applicable regulations and prioritizing the health and safety of ourassociates and neighbors. We are committed to upholding humanrights across our value chain, especially for members of vulnerable
groups, as outlined in our human rights statement. With support
from Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) representatives
and external affairs team members, our plant managers addresscommunity concerns and communicate proactively with local
stakeholders. We aim to give back to hundreds of local communities
each year through our community giving and associate
volunteerism programs.

MATERIALITY AND GOALS
Our purpose, to GroMoreGood everywhere, guides our efforts tocreate a more sustainable future for all of us. This means working

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

ESG
TEAM

{

ESG TEAM

ESG EFFORTS
We engage with external raters, rankers and other organizations
to measure, benchmark and improve our ESG performance andevolve our ESG strategy. In 2022, we submitted our third CDP
Climate Change questionnaire and worked with the Human Rights
Campaign (HRC) to disclose our ESG performance. Our company
also responded to S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment
for the second time in 2022. We earned scores above industry
averages across the environmental, social and governance score
dimensions. We will continue to engage with external partners on
our ESG disclosures and performance.

Board of Directors

Operations

Supply Chain

Marketing

12 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESG

Environmental
Health & Safety

Corporate Affairs

Regulatory

Research andDevelopment

Human Resources

Finance

MATERIALITY ASSESSMENT
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

In 2019, we retained the services of an outside consulting firm specializing
in ESG to help prioritize our most important ESG opportunities and risks
through a robust, third-party materiality assessment. Following theguidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a leading sustainability
reporting framework, the project identified relevant topics, prioritized
the most material ones and validated these findings with senior leaders.
Through this process, we also developed topic definitions and boundaries
as well as ranked material topics based on their relative importance to ourstakeholders and to our company.
Our top 15 material ESG topics are shown in the Materiality Topics table.
Topics with significant overlap in theme and operational boundaries were
further grouped into five strategic focus areas: product stewardship andsafety; operations and supply chain; associate engagement and wellness;
community engagement; and governance and transparency. We also
examined how the material topics emerged in relative importance andpotential impact between our internal and external stakeholders andprioritized them as areas of focus, ongoing management and emerging
significance.
For more information on our 2019 materiality assessment, please see our2020 Corporate Responsibility Report. In the coming months, we plan to
conduct a new materiality assessment update to help ensure our material
topics align with our current business and stakeholder priorities. We aim toshare these results in our 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report.

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

MATERIALITY PRIORITIZATION PROCESSRESEARCH &BENCHMARKINGIMPACT MAPPINGSTAKEHOLDERENGAGEMENTSYNTHESIS &ANALYSIS

VALIDATIONINTEGRATION

Applied internal
information andexternal frameworks
to identify potentiallyrelevant ESG topics.

Brought together experts
from across our company toidentify ESG impacts, risks
and opportunities across ourvalue chain.

Gathered perceptionsof stakeholder priorities
based on associatedfacts and evidence,
including interviews.

Evaluated additional sources,
including benchmarking,industry and global trends,
relevant industry standards,
regulations and studies.

Solidified the materiality matrix
through discussion with key
leaders about prioritized material
topics, associated boundaries
and opportunities.

Used materiality results todrive a sustainability goalsetting process and guideour strategy for the next
several years.

13 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESGMATERIALITY TOPICSTOPIC

FOCUS AREA

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIPXPRODUCT SAFETY ANDPERFORMANCEX

CONSUMER SAFETY

X

PACKAGINGX

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENTX

EMISSIONSX

ENERGYX

MANAGEMENTEMERGING

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

RELEVANT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

Developing products, packaging and dispensing solutions that have improved impacts on humans and theenvironment and promote sustainability performance throughout their lifecycle.

• Suppliers• Investors• Customers• Industry Associations• Partners• Media

Managing emerging materials and ingredients and using green chemistry principles while maintaining ahigh level of performance and meeting consumer expectations.

• Suppliers• Investors• Customers• Industry Associations• Partners• Media

Further assessing products for health and safety impacts and compliance with regulations to support
safe consumer use of products and services.

• Investors• Consumers• Media• Industry Associations

Reducing the overall environmental impacts of packaging by monitoring and improving the materials
used, the percentage of packaging made from recycled or renewable materials and the percentage thatcan be recycled, reused or composted post consumer use.

• Suppliers• Consumers• Customers• Industry Associations

Engaging with suppliers to improve environmental and social performance and management practices, while
ensuring business continuity and increasing the diversity of suppliers.

• Customers• Consumers• Investors• Suppliers

Reducing total greenhouse gas and other emissions from operations and throughout the supply chain.

• Customers• Suppliers• Investors• Partners

Reducing total energy use throughout operations and increasing the percentage of consumption thatcomes from renewable sources.

• Customers• Suppliers

CLIMATE CHANGE

X

Evaluating impacts, risks and opportunities due to climate change that could cause changes in supply
and demand for products, operations, revenue or expenditure and helping customers address climatechange impacts.

• Customers

EFFLUENTS AND WASTE

X

Disposing properly of hazardous and non-hazardous waste through appropriate methods; seeking tominimize landfill use through alternative methods, such as reuse, recycling, composting, recovery andincineration; and responding appropriately to account for impacts of any significant spills.

• Customers• Suppliers

DIVERSITY AND EQUALOPPORTUNITY

X

Promoting an inclusive environment and increasing diversity among all levels within our organization
while ensuring equal treatment of associates and instilling a culture of non-discrimination.

• Suppliers• Investors• Customers• Industry Associations

TALENT ATTRACTION AND
RETENTION

X

Providing competitive benefits and incentives to attract and retain associates.

• Employees

LOCAL COMMUNITIESXEngaging with our communities through philanthropy and investment, evaluating the positive andnegative impacts of operations and maintaining strong relationships.

• Customers

Maintaining the strong reputation of our company and brands along with our products and the products
we market, while establishing principles of behavior and disclosing the values of our company to build trust
between our company and consumers.

• Suppliers• Customers• Consumers

Promoting a socially and environmentally responsible and legitimate cannabis industry.

• Customers

Engaging with regulators, publicly disclosing a position on policy topics and advocating for the
production, enactment, execution and clear interpretation of legislation.

• Investors• Industry Associations

X

TRUST AND REPUTATIONXRESPONSIBLE CANNABISXPUBLIC POLICYAPPENDIXTOPIC DEFINITION

Product Stewardship and Safety

Operations and Supply Chain

14 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESG

Associate Engagement and Wellness

Community Engagement

Governance & Transparency• Partners• Investors

ESG FOCUS AREAS
AND GOALSPRODUCT STEWARDSHIP & SAFETY

OPERATIONS & SUPPLY CHAIN

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOur ESG commitments demonstrate how we live our
purpose to GroMoreGood everywhere. We align ourbusiness goals in ways that are good for our planet,people and communities.

OUR APPROACH
TO ESG

Earning the trust of our consumers
by designing high-quality productsthat show our commitment to a moresustainable future.

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

ASSOCIATE ENGAGEMENT & WELLNESSCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Incorporating sustainability principles
throughout our operations to increase
efficiency and reduce resource use.

GOVERNANCE & TRANSPARENCY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Fostering a healthy and inclusive
workplace where all associates are able togrow and thrive.

15 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESG

Giving back to the local community, caring
for the environment and connecting
current and future generations withgardens and greenspaces.

Focusing on ESG governance forenhanced transparency, support andaccountability across our company.

ESG GOALSINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

PROGRESS UPDATEGOAL1Assess all new ingredientsusing enhanced productdesign standards withemphasis on environmental
and safety impacts.

Process fully
integrated

2022

In FY2022, we met our goal to fully integratea process to assess all new ingredients using
enhanced product design standards withemphasis on environmental and safety impacts.
Additionally, we have begun to assess all raw
materials in a similar fashion.

Baseline our active
ingredient portfolio against
a set of environmental andsafety metrics to identify andevaluate priority ingredientsin our formulas.

100% of branded 2023
product active
ingredientsassessed

In FY2022, we met this goal by assessing 100% ofbranded product active ingredients.

Optimize productOngoing
application devices to ensure
continuous improvement.

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP & SAFETYOUR APPROACH
TO ESGTARGET
YEAR

Optimize packaging
design: Redesign selected
packaging to reduce theamount of plastic materialused.

Source packaging
sustainably: Triple theamount of recycled content
in plastic packaging.

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

2025

In FY2022, we optimized film structures andoperations to eliminate one million poundsof linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)
plastic from our Growing Media portfolio.
We also launched Ortho® Super Groundclear
Concentrate pouches that on average use 80%
less plastic than its rigid package equivalent. We
are currently tracking 1.5% towards our 3% goal.*

15% recycledcontent

2025

In FY2022 we conducted a dozen postconsumer recycling (PCR) qualification trials
across the portfolio. We also successfullycommercialized flexible films that contained
PCR and launched over 200,000 bags into themarket. We are currently tracking 6% towards
our 15% goal.*Support packaging recycling: 50%
Increase consumer brandachievement
packaging that can berecycled or reused.

2025

In FY2022, we redesigned non-recyclable wax
coated corrugated pallet bands to a recyclable
band with proprietary coatings. This changeenhanced the outdoor performance of the bandand eliminated the use of more than 100 tons of
waxed bands that would have gone to a landfill.
We are currently tracking 30% towards our 50%
goal.**As of May 2023
1

3% Reduction

In FY2022, we launched an improved batterypowered sprayer that significantly improves
reliability and long-term performance.
This yields a more targeted and consistent
application rate across the life of the sprayer,
reducing potential drift and off-target
application. We also launched new spreader
designs that improve particle distribution andconsistency across the swath-width, reducing
potential misapplication.

All ESG goals use a 2020 baseline.

Behind schedule

APPENDIX

16 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESGOPERATIONS& SUPPLY CHAIN

WHOWE AREMILESTONETARGET

Goal in progress

Goal complete

ASSOCIATE ENGAGEMENT& WELLNESSINTRODUCTIONGOAL1MILESTONETARGETTARGETYEAR

PROGRESS UPDATEUse established data collection 100% ofprocesses for emissions
locationsand waste in all locations toestablish baseline metrics andfuture improvement goals.

2022

In FY2022 we made progress towards this goal,
but due to reporting challenges we were unable
to meet it in the target year. We continue toimprove data collection including increasing thetypes of data collected from our sites. However,
we encountered difficulties with a third party
data collection partner and are seeking solutions
to meet this goal in the future.

Convert 20% of sales fleet tohybrid vehicles.

2025

Although we continue to make progress
towards this goal, inventory shortages for hybrid
vehicles have created longer fulfillment times
than initially expected. As a result, we have
expanded our purchasing criteria to include
additional manufacturers to help mitigate thesechallenges.

Demonstrate improvement
75% of suppliers
on identified “GroMoreGood”
Goals among 75% ofsuppliers.

2025

In 2021, we communicated our Supplier Codeof Conduct to 100% of our supplier base, which
identifies our minimum expectations andstandards that contribute to our GroMoreGood
philosophy. Given ongoing changes to ourbusiness, we are reclassifying and prioritizing
suppliers to identify the top 75% of suppliers toinclude in our Supplier Engagement Program.
Once established, we will execute our supplierengagement program over the course of adefined time period.

GOAL1

MILESTONETARGETTARGETYEAR

PROGRESS UPDATE

Foster a best-in-classassociate experience
where each associate feels
welcomed, engaged and that
their talents are used to thebest of their abilities.

CreateOngoing
platforms where
associates havea voice to track
sentiment andengagement.
Develop anddeliver on actionplans to ensurehigh levels of
engagement are
maintained.

In FY2022, we continued our focus on associate
engagement by using sentiment gathered from
our associates to shape our communication
strategies. For example, associates expressed thedesire to better understand business results andplanning. Therefore, we increased the frequencyof our town hall meetings and began to provide
leaders with flowdown toolkits to help associates
better understand the state of our business,
the actions we were taking and how associates
themselves can make an impact.

Cultivate an inclusive
work environment where
everyone feels included andvalued. A place where ourdifferences are welcomed,
acknowledged and used todrive our business forward.

Develop an
inclusive talentroadmap

In FY2022 our focus on creating a positive
and trusting workplace was heightened as
our associates experienced a high level ofchange throughout the year. Even still, business
functions took time to formally recognize
associates for their achievements. Our ERGs
played a key role in providing opportunities
for associates to feel welcomed, accepted and
get involved through events and the sharing of
information.

20% of sales
fleet

2022

ESG GOALS CONTINUEDOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSMILESTONETARGETTARGETYEAR

PROGRESS UPDATEGOAL1MILESTONETARGETTARGETYEAR

PROGRESS UPDATE

Continue to provide
holistic health andwellness programs tohelp people throughtheir best and mostchallenging times,
with the goal ofenhancing theirhealth, happiness andlongevity.

Define the next generationof LiveTotal Healthprogramming.

2022

In FY2022, we announced a series of changes
to our U.S. benefit programs that focused on
making healthcare easier to navigate while
continuing to prioritize the health, safety
and wellbeing of our associates and theirfamilies. Significant enhancements include
a partnership with Quantum Health, whose
healthcare advocates and expert medical
resources assist associates through theirhealthcare journey, and a renewed focus on
employee well-being through a revamped
wellness reimbursement program.

Advance awarenessand impactof associate
volunteerism
program.

Gather baseline
data

2021

We continued our efforts to increase awareness of ourassociate volunteer programs, both for our associates
and our communities. We used internal and external
storytelling to promote our associates’ dedication tovolunteerism. Associate volunteerism is a key pillar of our
ERGs and is one way that many of our associates Give
Back to Gro.

Connect 10 million
children to thebenefits of gardensand greenscapes.

10 million
children

2023

Continue to invest
in talent growth bydetermining whattalent we need, whattalent we have andensuring people plansalign to businessstrategies to address
the gaps.

Identify enterprise critical2023
roles, define what good
looks like, assess talent,establish a roadmap
for development andcontinually measureprogress.
Develop succession
plans to support thegrowth and change in ourbusiness and ensure talentreadiness for the future.
Provide learning
opportunities focused on
enabling leaders to engage
and motivate people, think
like an enterprise leader,
get results through othersand develop talent.

In FY22 we launched several tools focused on
associate development, both for leaders andindividual contributors. And while not a formal
program, we never lost sight of the rich andvaluable development that comes from onthe-job experiences. Leaders held forums withteam members to ensure they understandexpectations and how their work contributes
to the overall success of the enterprise.
We continued dialogue with our Board of
Directors about our associates informed bothby talent assessments and our talent strategy.
Additionally, we updated our performance
management processes to simplify ourapproach and focus on what matters most.

In FY2022, we exceeded our goal to connect 10 million
kids to the benefits of gardens and greenscapes. Fromgarden grants provided by The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Foundation to organizations including KidsGardening,
National Head Start Association and National Farm to
School Network and contributions to fund greenspaces
and gardens in community gardens, schools and libraries,
to programs supported by our brands such as Scotts®
MLB Field Refurbishment program, as well as corporate
contributions to provide gardening product donations,
we have connected over 17 million kids to the benefitsof gardens and greenscapes both indirectly and directly.
We will continue making progress against this goal
throughout 2023.

Invest in criminal$2.5 million
justice reform andinvested
economic inclusion
initiatives within thecannabis space.

2023

We have continued investing in Hawthorne Social Justice
Fund (HSJF) Grantees, adding Minorities for Medical
Marijuana, The Bronx Defenders, Association for Cannabis
Health Equity and Medicine (ACHEM) and Marijuana Policy
Project Foundation since the beginning of FY2022. As ofthe publishing date of this report, we have invested over
$2 million dollars toward HSJF grantees’ work on racial
justice, social equity and elevating cannabis reform on a
local and national level.

GOAL1

MILESTONETARGETTARGETYEAR

PROGRESS UPDATE

2025

Engage all full-time
associates in ourcompany purpose
and ESG priorities andmanagement.

100% of associates
engaged2022

In FY2022, we met this goal of engaging
100% of full-time associates in our company
purpose and ESG priorities. We did thisthrough educating and sharing our purpose
and ESG priorities through our corporate
communication channels, including
leadership town hall meetings, internal
articles, presentations, social media, podcasts,
flow downs and our internal digital signage
programming.

Reach millionsof Americans
annually throughenvironmental
partnerships.

In FY2022, we reached 151.8 million Americans throughour environmental partners including National Recreation
and Park Association, National Association of Conservation
Districts and Everglades Foundation to name a few,
surpassing our annual goal of 145 million Americans.2

Publish an annual ESG
report detailingperformance andprogress towards goals.

Annual ESG reporting withfull goal achievement

2025

This report continues to represent one ofmany reports that we will publish to advanceour disclosures and overall performance.

Involve stakeholders
across our value chain
in ESG purpose andpriorities.

Engage all major
stakeholders

2025

To involve stakeholders across the value
chain in 2022, we issued a Supplier Codeof Conduct and developed a new Supplier
Engagement Program that will help to ensure
the requirements of the Supplier Code of
Conduct are met.3

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

GOVERNANCE &TRANSPARENCY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIES

Behind schedule
17 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OUR APPROACH TO ESG

Goal in progress

Goal complete

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTWHO
WE AREASSOCIATE ENGAGEMENT& WELLNESSINTRODUCTION

GOAL1

145 million
Americans

All ESG goals use a 2020 baseline.
In our 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report, which addressed FY21 updates, we erroneously reported the following progress update towards this goal:“We are on track to achieve our goal and reach 145 million Americans through environmental partnerships by 2025.” Due to updated reporting weare restating last year’s Progress Update to note that we fell short of our FY2021 annual goal with 110.3 million Americans reached. Importantly, on anaverage annual basis we have reached 176+ million Americans since 2019.
3
In our 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report, which addressed FY21 updates, we erroneously reported the following progress update towards thisgoal: “To involve stakeholders across the value chain in 2022, we issued a Supplier Code of Conduct and implemented a third-party audit program tosupport it.” Although a substantial amount of effort had gone into the development and communication surrounding the Supplier Code of Conduct
in FY21, which was originally anticipated to issue that year, it was not officially launched publicly until September 28, 2022, which fell within FY22. We
have provided an accurate progress update in this report.
1

2

WHERE WE’RE HEADEDWe will continue to develop and evolve our ESG goals by implementing action plans which reflect the outcomes of
our next materiality assessment. A number of associates across our business work with our ESG team to contributeto our efforts. Our senior leadership oversees this process and provides ongoing updates to our Board of Directors.
We look forward to maintaining transparency on our progress in future reports and on our website.

Innovative
Products
We design and continuously improve our products
to meet our consumers’ and cultivators’ needs
and aspirations while being conscious of theenvironment and supporting a more sustainable
future. We create high-quality, innovative productsthat enable gardens, lawns, landscapes and indoor
growing operations to thrive.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESEvery year, we make considerable investments in our productresearch and development (R&D) to meet the evolving needs of our
stakeholders and to continuously improve our products. Our R&D
team of over 100 research scientists and engineers, representing
disciplines ranging from soil science to molecular biology tochemical engineering, collaborates with business and academic
partners to develop innovative and sustainable solutions. The
scientific expertise needed to accomplish this comes from these
individuals working with industry leading natural and organic
technology providers, plant breeders and agricultural companies.
Our product portfolio aims to create a better living environment
for people and our planet. While some of our product offerings
protect environmentally beneficial plants and landscapes frominvasive pests and diseases, others equip gardeners and growers
with natural and organic ways to grow food and plants, in soil
or water, and create bounty and beauty. This includes giving
consumers product choices, as evident in our recent launch of the
new Roundup Dual Action, a non-glyphosate formulation weed andgrass killer.
We prioritize the safety and performance of our products, and thisbegins during the ingredient selection phase. ScottsMiracle-Gro
supports a scientifically based regulatory system, and we work to
educate consumers through communications and product labels.
Additionally, we seek to use the lowest necessary ingredient rate
while optimizing product effectiveness and closely monitoring
active ingredients. Our company continuously explores new,improved ways to deliver products through design optimizationand improved packaging, including more sustainable sourcing andrecycling options, with these goals in mind:

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
We invest about $40 million each year in R&D to GroMoreGood forour consumers and the planet through product innovation. Our
product development teams consider our ESG goals and priorities
during formulation and packaging development. Our productdevelopment process requires rigorous testing at each stage ofthe operation against specific criteria, such as biological research,
formulations, packaging development and market analysis, before
advancing to the next stage. Between each stage, we incorporate
technical and business vetting processes to help confirm that the
product concept is viable and meets our standards for performanceand quality.
We use the processes and frameworks outlined in our Good
Research Practices (GRP) program to execute and deliver new
products. At a minimum, our products are designed to comply withlocal, state and federal regulations and are thoroughly reviewed andvetted by our regulatory team. However, our GRP goes further - itis the accumulation of standard operating procedures, methods,
reference documents and internal policies that lead to exemplary
new product execution. This program sets benchmarks to monitor
efficacy, product performance and claims development whilesetting critical standards to manage the potential risk of under- orover-application. Any critical research testing plans are presented
and peer-evaluated before product testing begins. We follow thissame process to critically analyze and peer-review the results ofcorresponding product tests.

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

BY
2025

3%

reduction in plastic material usedin packaging

19 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

50%

increase in consumer brand packaging
that can be recycled or reused

15%

recycled content in plastic packaging

A cross-functional team of R&D scientists and engineers contribute to our sustainability
strategy by integrating the following priorities into the product development process:

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESG

Active ingredients: We regularly review our active ingredients to balance
our priorities of safety, efficacy and environmental impact. We referencewell-recognized industry and scientific standards to guide our assessmentof potential hazards and their severity. Engaging with consumers andreviewing advancements in green chemistry provide opportunities tointroduce new active ingredients that align with our product stewardshipgoals. We promote transparency by publishing a list of ingredients andtheir descriptions on our website.
Material sourcing: When identifying raw materials for use in our products,
we consider the potential risks and opportunities associated with eachmaterial source. Our goal is to increase the use of recycled, bio-based and/or sustainably sourced materials.

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTS

Product design: We utilize life-cycle assessment tools to evaluate
opportunities to introduce more sustainable products and components,
mitigate environmental impacts, optimize existing products and spur
innovation in new product design.

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

Packaging sustainability: Throughout the product development process,including product packaging design, we seek to maximize sustainably
sourced content, eliminate unnecessary or harmful material and promote
recovery, recycling and reuse.

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

We frequently engage with our customers and consumers to better understand the
problems they face, what they want to accomplish in their space, how they use our
products and how we can improve their growing experience. We analyze productusage to inform innovation focused on enabling consumers to more easily apply our
products at the proper rate, time and location. We leverage this analysis to improve our
product applicators, designed to reduce the risks of misapplication and unintended
contact with the product. Additionally, we plan and test our products against varied
environmental conditions, such as heat, cold and sun exposure, to help ensure that our
products can still perform to a high standard under such conditions.

APPENDIX

20 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INNOVATIVE PRODUCTSCONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT CENTER
As a leading North American manufacturer and provider of indoor growing andhydroponic products, we invest in the future of the industry through two uniqueresearch and development facilities that simulate real-world growing operationsof indoor cultivators. The R&D facilities enable us to test products and solutions
in a controlled environment to inform future innovation focused on efficiency,
productivity, sustainability and improved yields. Our most recent location is the new
Gavita Controlled Environment Center on the Marysville Campus, a 9,300 square-feetfacility dedicated to lighting technology, nutrient and indoor growing advancement,using 12 indoor grow rooms. Here, we can grow hemp and other plants undercontrolled environmental conditions often using our own branded products, such as
Gavita and Agrolux LED lighting technology along with nutrients and growing media.
The other facility is focused on cannabis cultivation research centered on the uniqueneeds of cannabis cultivators in authorized markets. This 40,000 square-feet facility in
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, houses state-of-the-art laboratories, indoor growsuites and training areas.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSOUR APPROACH
TO ESGOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

3. Proof of Concept: In the idea proof of concept stage,a product advances closer to becoming a reality. We
may develop prototypes and marketers begin totest consumer and grower interest and attitudes.
Through rigorous screening, testing and refining,
we determine how products will perform in thereal world. Our product developers seek to answer
the questions: “What will we prove,” “Can we
accomplish it within a reasonable budget,” and“Can we develop the necessary materials andmanufacturing capacity?”
4. Development: The most rigorous stage involves
understanding the product’s cost by developing
and testing complete prototypes, researching users’
experiences and refining the design accordingly. We
create labels in accordance with regulatory standards,
test product claims and perform all indicated safety
testing. Our product team seeks to answer the question,“Is this product ready for market?” Only when the answer
is a resounding “yes” does the new product make its way
to store shelves.

TECHNICAL/SCIENTIFIC
Formulation
Packaging

IDEA

POST
LAUNCHREVIEW

PROOF
OFCONCEPT

ign
es
PRODUCTINNOVATIONCYCLEDEVELOPMENT

DurablesRegulatory

Human And
Environmental Safety
Sourcing
Manufacturing
Quality

MARKET OPPORTUNITY
Consumer Research

Sales Channels

Competitive
Differentiation

Legal/Intellectual
Property

RETURN ON INVESTMENTCOMMERCIALIZE

5. Commercialize: In the commercializing stage, we manufacture
the product, conduct a retail line-review, field sales team training,
store execution and consumer promotion.
6. Post Launch Review: In the final post launch review stage, we review how the product soldagainst our projections. We also evaluate its quality, consumer reviews and make any changes
for future production.

21 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

Biology

CONCEPT

Build

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTS

2. Concept: During the concept stage, R&D scientists and engineers
determine whether the project idea is technically feasible. They
seek to answer the questions, “Could this concept be achieved”
and “What resources are needed?”DWHO
WE ARE

1. Idea: In this stage, our product development team, representing R&D, Marketing and otherfunctions, ideates a potential product. They validate the product idea by asking, “Is this viable,”“Is there a market opportunity or need for it,” and “Is it worth exploring further?”Se
ll

INTRODUCTIONCRITERIA CONSIDERED
DURING PRODUCTDEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Product Financials

Resources And
Complexity

REGULATORY OVERSIGHT
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSTo ensure ScottsMiracle-Gro products meet applicable regulatory requirementsin each jurisdiction our products are sold, our Regulatory team provides rigorous
oversight throughout the product development process. A multi-faceted compliancesystem helps us stay diligent and on track. Our Board of Directors includes a former
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator who further advises our team.
To help our products remain in compliance and achieve proper registrations, we
implement robust document control protocols, multiple levels of review and crosschecking processes. We release new products to market only after our rigorous
process is complete. In the regulatory process, we begin by evaluating the raw
materials that are used in our products to determine whether they need to beregistered with government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) in the United States, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) andCanadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Canada. Next, we review the formulations
to identify applicable safety testing and label requirements. Based on these andother evaluations, our Regulatory Team proposes content for labels that meetcorresponding regulations, guide consumers on usage and provide any necessary
precautions. After product labels are finalized, our Regulatory Team submits them tothe applicable state, province and/or federal regulatory agencies for approval.

FORMULATIONOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

We prioritize human health, the environment and product efficacy when formulating
our products. We also leverage scientific research to meet our consumers’ emerging
interests and needs. When selecting ingredients, we consider:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Efficacy
Safety to humans
Safety to animals
Environmental impact
Interaction with other ingredientsInteraction with the product packaging
Lowest active ingredient rate necessary to maintain effectivenessIn 2022, we began assessing new ingredients and formulas using enhanced productdesign standards that emphasize environmental and safety impacts. We also criticallyevaluated our existing active ingredient portfolio against environmental and safety
metrics to identify and evaluate priority ingredients in our formulas by 2023. Our R&D
investments enable our scientists to conduct rigorous research that drives informed
product development and formulation decisions. Fundamentally, our scientists seek
to improve product effectiveness while continuing to meet regulatory standards.

22 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

REDESIGNING OUR POUR & FEED SINGLESAND INDOOR PLANT FOOD BOTTLES
The packaging for our Miracle-Gro Pour & Feed® Singles, a ready-to-use, pre-measured
plant food, was redesigned from a semi-rigid thermoformed blister pack into a flexible
stick pack, making it our first liquid product to be packaged in a flexible film. Evaluatedby EcoImpact’s COMPASS LCA tool, the redesign reduced material use and drastically
optimized the supply chain resulting in a 95+% reduction of GHG emissions and fossil
fuel and water usage.
Following the successful transformation of Miracle-Gro Pour & Feed®
Singles came the redesign of the popular and rapidly growing Indoor
Plant Food bottle. The supply chain was again optimized along with asymmetrical bottle design more conducive to shrink sleeve decoration.
Using the same calculation methodology and the EcoImpact’s
COMPASS LCA tool, this redesign resulted in a 15% reduction in GHG
emissions, 10% reduction in fossil fuel usage and 24% reduction inwater usage.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESTo uphold our commitment to careful formulation, rigorous testing andcomprehensive regulatory compliance, our products are in development for an
average of two to three years from idea to commercialization. A new innovation
can take up to five years to reach commercialization. During this time, more than 12
departments, including Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Sales, Creative, Financeand Legal, play a role in refining and improving the concept before bringing the
product to life. We adhere to the high standards of our GRP program throughout the
product innovation process.

ANIMAL TESTING POLICY STATEMENT
We do not conduct any product testing on animals. Where accepted, we engage
third-party support for non-animal testing methods to support the safety of our
products, including historical data, information from our suppliers, waivers and othernon-animal testing methods where possible. When a regulatory body, such as the
EPA, mandates animal testing, we engage the services of an independent, third party
that is properly licensed and appropriately accredited to conduct such federallymandated testing.

PACKAGING
Our product packaging must be durable to withstand exposure to a wide range
of indoor and outdoor environments and provide a positive customer experience.
We work hard to provide clear labels, optimize the ease of product use and prevent
misapplication or off-target contact. Our specialized packaging engineers apply
rigorous, standardized methods to design, test and qualify our packaging andapplication devices.
In addition to product safety, quality and user experience, we prioritize sustainable
packaging. We recognize that many customers, consumers and other stakeholders
are concerned about the environmental impact of plastic packaging. Although we
often use plastic because of its durability, we put great focus on reducing material
usage, increasing recycled content and supporting increased recycling rates inalignment with our ESG goals and to reduce our environmental impact.

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

We drive multiple sustainable packaging initiatives, including:

APPENDIX

Redesigning packaging: Our ongoing package redesign initiatives result insignificant material reduction. We are also exploring ways to substantially reduce thesize and weight of packages, such as selling more products in concentrated form. In
the fall of 2022, we launched the Super GroundClear® Flexible concentrate pouch thaton average uses 80% less plastic, 66% less water, 71% less energy and emits 67% less
GHG emissions than its rigid package equivalents (as calculated by Trayak’s LCA tool
EcoImpact COMPASS). In 2022, we were able to re-engineer our growing media films
with high-performance resins that achieve comparable physical performance with

23 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

REDUCING PLASTIC PACKAGING WITH THE
ORTHO FLEXI POUCH
In 2022 we released the new Ortho GroundClear® Weed & Grass Killer Super Concentrate
Flexible Refill Pouch, designed to provide consumers with the same effective weed
killing formula of GroundClear® Super Concentrate in a new, easy to use package. Withsustainability in mind, the new flexible refill packaging reduces plastic waste by up to 90
percent compared to a traditional one gallon refill bottle.
Providing consumers with a simple user experience, these flexible refill pouches take theguesswork and messiness out of concentrate use. The refill pouches are pre-measured
with the exact amount of concentrate needed to make a half gallon of product, eliminating
any need to measure. The refill pouches can be used in a tank sprayer or convenient Ortho
reusable bottle.
this future-forward product, we’re demonstrating the importance“ Withof consumer-focused innovation and sustainability in the controls
category. We see flexible packaging as the future of the refill space,
and we’ll push ourselves to build upon the momentum of this launchin pursuit of our commitment to GroMoreGood in the world.

”

Jodi Lee, Vice President of Controls & Gardens

less plastic. We estimate this will result in a material reduction of 1
million pounds of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDE) once fully
realized, while maintaining performance and quality.
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Increasing recycled content: We increase the amount of recycledmaterial in plastic packaging to significantly reduce petrochemical
use and emissions from many virgin plastics. According to studies,every pound of recycled plastic used results in production-related
savings of up to 88% in energy use and 71% in greenhouse gas
emissions (GHG) compared to the use of virgin material4. In
2022, we conducted a dozen Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR)
qualification trials for flexible films containing both mechanicallyand chemically recycled PCR content, ranging from 5% to 30%.
Extensive physical property testing and production-scale trials
were executed to validate performance and long-term capability.
As a result, over 200,000 bags were manufactured and sold withup to 25% PCR content in 2022. This qualification phase is a criticalstep in meeting our goal of tripling the amount of recycled content
in plastic packaging by 2025.
Supporting recyclability: Our goals and progress to increase
recyclable, reusable or compostable product packaging are
consistent with the overarching objectives of the ever-evolving
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and PCR policy space.
For some packages, we are transitioning to materials that are
more compatible with today’s recycling infrastructure. We use
the standardized labeling system How2Recycle® to communicate
proper disposal and recycling instructions to the public. We plan
to incorporate this standard into packaging that is not subject toother recycling communication standards, some of which may berequired by specific environmental regulations.
Sustainable material sourcing: Most of our paper fiber-based
packaging is certified as sustainably sourced by the Sustainable
Forestry Initiative (SFI) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and we
strive to increase this quantity to 100%.
As we explore additional sustainable packaging options, weconsider consumer needs and expectations and environmental
impacts. We focus on major market trends, including the shift
toward direct-to-consumer delivery and its unique environmental
challenges. Through collaborative partnerships, we engage
customers, suppliers and industry trade groups to address thesystemic challenges of sustainable packaging. It is our hope thattogether we can develop lasting solutions to fundamental circular
economy challenges, such as addressing recycling infrastructure
4Franklin Associates, A Division of Eastern Research Group (ERG). “LIFE CYCLE IMPACTS FORPOSTCONSUMER RECYCLED RESINS: PET, HDPE, AND PP. December 2018.

24 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

gaps, landfill diversion diverting waste from landfill and extracting
value from post-consumer packaging material.
For more information about our packaging and recycling efforts,
please see our highlight story about our post-industrial plastic film
scrap recycling program in the Operating Sustainably section ofthis report.

CONSUMER EDUCATION
It is essential to provide consumers with products that are
simple, effective and safe when used as directed. We rigorously
research ingredients and test our products to ensure they meet
regulations and can be safely used around people, animals and theenvironment. The labels on our products contain clear directions
for use and when necessary, precautionary information and firstaid instructions. We also share product and ingredient information
with our consumers through technical bulletins, product labels andmarketing campaigns. We know our consumers value accurate
and current product information, which is why we also dedicate
space on our websites for sharing this information, alongside
instructions on disposal and recycling.
Pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are crucial to theenvironment, yet they require a healthier and larger habitat.
They are particularly important to the landscapes that we help
our consumers care for. Our business has a significant role inprotecting these species and their contribution to different
ecosystems, and we can reach a broader audience when wepartner with other experts in our field. We employ distinguishedscientists and work with third-party experts, including universities,
research centers and nonprofit organizations, to further promote
the responsible use of our products, prioritize pollinator protectionand engage in consumer education. By educating consumers
about how they can create pollinator-friendly spaces in their own
backyards and enabling them to effectively and safely use pest
control products, we help these essential creatures flourish.
Our Bee Responsible program rolled out in U.S. retail storesnationwide in 2019 to advance consumer education. This program
offers consumers clear, concise tips for using Ortho® brandoutdoor garden control products responsibly to reduce impact
on pollinators. In alignment with this initiative, and specifically inresponse to consumer feedback, we removed neonicotinoids from
Ortho® outdoor products in 2019, a full two years ahead of schedule.

AEROGARDEN:
LIVING THINGS
WHERE YOU LIVE,365 DAYS A YEAR

Living things are important to us all–no matter where we live, the time ofyear or the amount of space we have.
Through AeroGarden, we provide
indoor growing options that allow
people to grow plants exclusively
indoors or help them get a head starton their outdoor growing through seedgermination. We’re helping consumers
understand that the growing season
can be 365 days a year.

We also collaborated with a leading national pollinator nongovernmentalorganization (NGO) and developed the following guidance to print on displays
and bottles:
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

•
•
•
•
•
•

Plant pollinator-attractive plants
Always use products as directed
Spray on foliage to avoid blooms
Spray when air is calm to avoid drift
Apply at dusk and dawn when bees are less active
Do NOT spray when bees are visiting the treated area

PLAYING A LEAD ROLE IN U.N. GLOBALSUSTAINABILITY STAGE
In 2022, Regennabis, a leading ESG and sustainability advisory firm in the global
cannabis industry, issued the Resource Use Efficiency in the Cannabis Industry
report with support from Hawthorne Gardening Company to positively influence
policy discussions as they relate to indoor growing.
The report coincided with Hawthorne and Regennabis cosponsoring the global Regenerative Cannabis Live event at
the United Nations to explore how the industry can drive
sustainability in cultivation practices and methods. The
event yielded insights into how cannabis cultivation policy
and innovation can support the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals.
“Regennabis strives to bring together policy makers, industry leaders and social
justice advocates to elevate the need for information sharing and deeper-level
discussion on sustainability in the cannabis industry,” said Patrick McCartan,
co-founder and CEO of Regennabis. “What many people don’t realize is that thisindustry is moving fast toward sustainability.”
Hawthorne President Chris Hagedorn, a featured speaker at the U.N. event,said, “Cannabis cultivators must have more sustainable options, and we, as asupplier partner, have a responsibility to provide solutions that help them beresource efficient. At Hawthorne, we’re driving innovation that puts growers on a
resource efficient path while supporting their needs for higher yields and quality.
It’s important to note that advancements in cannabis cultivation can informenhancements in indoor agriculture in harsh climates and food deserts.”

APPENDIX

25 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | INNOVATIVE PRODUCTSDROUGHTRESOURCESFROM SCOTTS®
The very definition of what a lawn can be
is changing and we believe that caring
for it responsibly is essential. To help
consumers navigate the environmental
challenges of water scarcity and quality
without sacrificing the benefits of outdoor
greenspaces, Scotts® shared a collectionof drought resources on our website.
From reviving your lawn after drought toplanting a clover lawn, these resources
are designed to provide consumers with
options tailored to their local climate
situations. Here are five efficient ways wecan all conserve water in our lawns:
1. Feed regularly
2. Set your lawn mower to theright height, typically one of
the highest settings
3. Leave the grass clippings on
your lawn
4. Rely on rain
5. Think eco-friendly by using
rain barrels and watering(when absolutely necessary)
early in the morning

MAKING EVERYDROP COUNT:MIRACLE-GRO®
SHARESRESOURCES TOHELP CONSUMERSCONSERVE WATER
We have a responsibility to help people
navigate the environmental challengesof drought and water quality without
sacrificing the benefits of outdoor
greenspaces. By educating consumers
on ways they can enjoy a beautiful
outdoor space while being mindful of
resources, we’re helping them reimagine
their yards in ways that work withnature, not against it. Through education
platforms, our Miracle-Gro brand is
helping consumers understand that its
products are expertly crafted to help
plants thrive by optimizing the amountof air, compaction, moisture absorption
and nutrition.

Operating
Sustainably
We work to GroMoreGood by incorporating
sustainability principles across our operations andsupply chain to ensure our activities align with ourcompany’s purpose and values. This includes increasing
efficiencies, conserving resources and creatingproducts in a way that our customers can trust.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE ARETo manage our operational impacts, we have developed a robust Environmental Health and
Safety (EHS) management system. The EMS enables scheduling of compliance activities,
tracking of key EHS indicators and maintaining investigative and incident reports. We also
conduct regular EHS audits through a proactive program that safeguards compliance withenvironmental, health and safety regulations and our internal standards.
Third-party external assessments and quarterly internal reviews identify areas ofopportunity and continuous improvement for our EHS practices. Performance indicators
drive data-led enhancements in areas such as waste, water, energy and occupational
health and safety. To establish future improvement goals, we are working to initiate a datacollection process for emissions and waste across our business by the end of 2023.

HEALTH AND SAFETYOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

SAFE EACH AND EVERY DAY: OUR VISION
FOR ASSOCIATE SAFETY

The health and safety of our associates is a top priority, and we undertake health andsafety programs to protect our team members. All associates and business partners,
including contractors, are covered by our EHS management system. As part of this system,
we adopted the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” strategy. Influenced by ISO 45001 guidelines, thisapproach allows us to more quickly identify and address health and safety priorities. Our
behavior-based safety program enables associates at every level to submit concerns andshare feedback when they encounter work behaviors and conditions that they perceive to
be unsafe. We respond to associate concerns and feedback in real time and swiftly address
issues raised, each time seeking to create a safer workplace for everyone.

In 2016, we partnered with DuPont® to assess our safety culture. Based on our learnings,
we formed cross-functional teams of associates to create a new company-wide vision andvalues for safety. Our vision and values are grounded in keeping our associates safe each andevery day, and in 2022, we reinforced our vision and values by sharing values of the week andvalues of the month.

All employees receive health and safety training during new hire orientation, which
reinforces the importance of safety while providing new associates with the skills they needto succeed safely in their roles. We provide tailored safety training to each employee basedon job type and level within our company. Our Supervisor EHS training focuses on threeareas: general knowledge of applicable regulations, knowledge of necessary systems andleadership training elements.

Safety Values• We value safety and well-being above all else. Safety is and will always be a top priority,
ahead of cost, production volume, sales or quality.
• We believe most work-related incidents and injuries can be prevented. There is acombination of behaviors and environments that lead to accidents – our job is toproactively identify these factors, to the extent possible, and provide the tools andeducation to our associates to keep them safe.
• We are personally accountable for our own, and collectively responsible for each other’ssafety. Everyone needs to take responsibility and ownership for their own safety—only we
can choose our behaviors and actions. We should all look out for each Sotherand support
A F E E A C H & E V E RY D AY
our co-workers, friends and families to ensure their safety as well as our own.
• We are all empowered to take action on safety. All of us can take action on safety and infact, are expected to do so. Each associate has the power and responsibility to identify
and help resolve any unsafe act or condition.
• We will learn and improve by reporting incidents and hazards. In order to improve wehave to report accidents or near misses. We perform robust root cause investigations toensure that we learn from each and every incident. We then share these lessons broadly
to prevent reoccurrence.
• We will celebrate our safety successes. We will focus on our opportunities for
improvement and share best practices. We will also take the time to stop and celebrate
our safety accomplishments.
• We should never be satisfied or complacent with our safety performance and culture.
Regardless of how we perform in safety, we will be relentless in our pursuit of zero
injuries. Even one associate hurt is too many. We commit to continuously improving oursafety performance.

Across our operational sites and sales teams, we encourage our associates to participate in
Safety Committees, whether required by law or not. These Safety Committees encourage
safety engagement on a local and national level and are just another way for associates tofocus on safety and learn best practices.
Another way we increase health and safety awareness and commitment is through our
pre-shift safety meetings, in which site leadership provides a 5-minute safety talk on safework tips, tools and standards, and associates align on their approach and plans for theshift. The meeting enables associates to voice any health and safety concerns. Such active
participation drives ownership and collaboration, ultimately leading to a safer working
environment for all.
To further mitigate risks and align all team members to our EHS efforts, we develop
Compliance Calendars that highlight dates for EHS inspections and deadlines to meetvoluntary and regulatory requirements. The calendars are a valuable tool for site associates
to track internal deadlines and complete self-evaluations.
27 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

Safety Vision:
To help all associates live their life to the fullest by
fostering safety at work and at home.
ONE TEAM + ONE GOALINTRODUCTION

TAKING PRIDE IN CELEBRATING SAFETY
IMPROVEMENTS AND MILESTONES
We take time to acknowledge and celebrate our safety improvements and milestones as part of maintaining a strong
health and safety culture. Here are some of the significant safety wins we celebrated at our locations in 2022:

WHO
WE AREWINS AT 10+ YEARSWINS AT 20+ YEARSOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

Chester:

Geismar:15 years with no lost time injuries

12 years with no lost time injuries

Lawrenceville:

WINS AT 5+ YEARS

29 years with no lost time injuries“‘Safety is no Accident’ is a good play
on words but make no mistake that it
takes hard work, training, compliance,and relentless focus on safety toachieve a milestone like this.”- Darren Talbert, Plant Manager

APPENDIX

28 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

Groveland:

Maricopa:

10 years with no lost time injuries

6 years with no lost time injuries

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTS

We use an EHS Scorecard composed of leading and lagging indicators to evaluate ourhealth and safety performance, including progress measurements for safety training,
behavioral-based safety observations, near-miss reporting, total recordable incident rateand lost time accident rate. This tool drives accountability and provides the opportunity to
set goals and track our progress across different health and safety indicators.
To keep our associates updated on safety best practices at work and in all aspects of theirlife, we maintain open communication. Throughout the year, we identify opportunities
to focus on relevant areas of concern and share tips and educational materials throughour monthly newsletters and other platforms to give associates the tools they need to beprepared and stay safe. In June 2022, we increased safety communication during National
Safety Month by sharing tips about how to stay safe at home for associates to share with
their families.
In October 2022, we joined the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA®), aninternational nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property
and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. In celebrating the 100th
anniversary of Fire Prevention Week’s campaign “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape,”
we shared valuable information with our associates to increase awareness of simple
and important actions to keep themselves and those around them safe from fires. In
December, we focused on sharing information about holiday decorating safety to help
ensure all of our associates had a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

WASTE
OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

We prioritize reducing waste across our direct operations and business by identifying
product circularity opportunities such as recycling, reuse and material reduction, setting
goals and taking action.
Our company seeks to reduce waste sent to landfills as well as lessen material use byrecycling and reusing materials as much as possible. By increasing focus on a numberof recycling initiatives for wooden pallets, cardboard and plastic, and educating ourassociates on the benefits of recycling, we are making progress toward reducing ouroperational waste. Across our operations, we diverted approximately 2,025 short tons ofwaste from landfills in 2022.
We strive to reduce, recycle and reuse waste streams in each manufacturing environment
and explore new take-back partnerships to directly recycle certain types of packaging
waste. In addition, we collaborate with third-party operators to transport and dispose of
any hazardous waste from our processes and to comply with regulations. We also explore
innovative ways to reduce packaging waste impacts while prioritizing consumer safety
and product quality. For more information about our packaging waste reduction efforts,
please refer to the Innovative Products section of this report.

29 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

MAKING GOOD USE OF WASTEWATER
Water is essential throughout the fertilizer manufacturing process, from cooling andcleaning to air-pollution control. Water treatment facilities face challenges whenattempting to treat the nitrogen-rich wastewater generated through our fertilizer
manufacturing processes, so we decided to take action to find an innovative solution to
reduce our wastewater and mitigate its impact.
For the last several decades, we have partnered with a local farmer to reuse nitrogen-richwastewater consistent with Ohio EPA regulations and best practices. At our Marysvillefertilizer plant, four 20,000-gallon storage tanks continuously recirculate water. When
the water becomes overly nitrogen-rich, it is emptied into tanker trucks 4,500 to 5,000
gallons at a time. The farmers we partner with then take up to 30 loads, between 1 and2 million pounds per month. This nitrogen-rich water is usedduring the corn, soy and wheat growing seasons, creating areuse and waste reduction solution that is a win-win for both
~100,000
our company and our local farmer partners. In 2016, we built
tons of nutrient-richwastewater reused
a 600,000-gallon water storage tank on one farmer’s property
since 2002
to aid the farm’s operations. We look forward to continuing tobeneficially reuse wastewater to help local farmers.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Coir is an increasingly popular, natural material from coconut husks used in some of ourpotting mixes. The product is flexible as it can be processed into coir fibers, coir chunks
or coir pith. We use coir in our professional and consumer potting mixes, growing media
and lawn repair products as it can absorb up to 10 times its weight in water–reducing thefrequency of watering and overall water use. To reduce the waste sent to landfills resulting
from manufacturing coir, our Marysville manufacturing team partnered with local
landscape and renewable energy and organics management firms to beneficially reuse
the waste material by incorporating it into other consumer goods and in other agricultural,municipal and industrial applications. Through these partnerships, we were able to divert
3.4 million pounds of coir waste from landfill in 2022.
In 2023, we look forward to partnering with Clean Earth, an environmental and regulated
waste management company, in a new waste-to-energy program. Clean Earth will recycle
certain solid hazardous wastes generated from our manufacturing processes to create
blended fuel for cement kilns. While the cost for Clean Earth is 15% higher than traditional
incineration, we believe it’s worth investing in a sustainable solution that beneficiallyreuses this waste in a waste-to-energy program. Our initial goal is to redirect 30% of thiswaste stream from incineration to Clean Earth, and we look forward to providing progress
updates.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY PILOT PROGRAM
Since the beginning of 2022, we have implemented a plastic packaging recycling programin Canada to increase recycled resin in our peat bales. After the bale has been used at oursite, instead of sending the bag to a landfill, we send it to a local recycler that cleans andconverts the film to recycled pellets, which are used by the bag manufacturer to makenew peat bales, thus completing a circular supply chain for these bags. The programis progressing well and is now serving as an example for the implementation of new
initiatives for other types of packaging to reduce our consumption of virgin plastic.

WATER
Water stewardship, including water quality and conservation, is a material focus for ourcompany. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) affect freshwater and marine waters in over halfof the U.S. each year. Driven by nutrient runoff, HABs are further exacerbated by increased
temperatures and the accelerating frequency and intensity of rainfall events. In theAmerican West, increasingly severe drought demands water conservation. Such water use
issues are both risks and opportunities for our company to continue investing in productsthat enable consumers to care for their lawns and landscapes while conserving andprotecting water resources. With a combined reach of more than 150 million people, we
financially support leading environmental organizations that drive scientific innovation,
protect waterways and advocate for everyone’s right to safe and accessible water.
To be responsible water stewards, we explore ways to reduce the amount of water we use
in our manufacturing and reduce our water-related impacts on local communities. We do
not discharge untreated manufacturing process wastewater.
30 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

GIVING WASTE NEW LIFE, LOCALLY
As a leading user of compost in North America, we embrace our unique ability to drive
circularity. By redirecting green waste, such as grass, tree trimmings and organic wastefrom commercial landscaping, tree cultivation and agriculture into our products, wereduce the amount of waste that may have otherwise been disposed of in landfills
and contribute to methane emissions. Through our products, these waste materials
re-enter the growing cycle as soils, growing amendments and mulches. Our company
recycled roughly 5 billion pounds of green waste locally in 2022.
Over the past decade, our growing media procurement team developed a networkof hundreds of local, small- and medium-sized suppliers of green waste across North
America. This network provides the raw ingredients for our growing media products.
This “growing local” strategy reduces costs and emissions associated with shipping
heavy organic materials over long distances and contributes to high-quality productblends that meet consumer needs. Our dozens of growing media facilities across North
America make it possible for the vast majority of the inputs for our soil to be sourced
within a 120-mile radius on average.
WASTE (SHORT TONS)5

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Total Waste Generated

44,654.3

153,758.4

31,280.3

Waste to Landfill

17,700.9

5,378.2

15,389.6

Waste Diverted from Landfill

23,593.7

140,510.9

2,025.2

Hazardous Waste Generated

3,359.7

3,648.8

3,481.8

Waste Intensity (per Production Ton)

-

0.02

0.01

5

In FY2020, 95% of sites reported waste data. FY2021 data includes greater than 95% of all sites reporting some type of waste
data. In FY2022, 91.9% of sites reported waste data.

INTRODUCTION

We have successfully reduced wastewater and mitigated wastewater impacts byreclaiming water used in production at our two highest water use manufacturing
plants. Since the water used in fertilizer production at our Marysville manufacturing
facility is nutrient-rich, we divert it for beneficial use once it is no longer suitablefor production. The reuse and removal of this water is consistent with regulations
and best practices for wastewater treatment, and also provides low-cost/high value
fertilizer alternatives for the agricultural industry.

WHO
WE ARE

WATER: PROTECTING AND RESPECTING
EARTH’S MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCEOUR APPROACH
TO ESGAs the leader in lawns and gardens, we have a responsibility to help people navigate
the environmental challenges of drought and water quality without sacrificing thebenefits of outdoor greenspaces. Greenspaces provide environmental benefits
including protecting groundwater quality, reducing noise and glare, dissipating heatand reducing energy required to cool nearby buildings.

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTSAs plant life supports the planet and live landscapes enhance communities andhomes, we help people create beautiful outdoor spaces while being mindful of water
resources. We provide flexible solutions that enable people to enjoy or reimagine
outdoor spaces that work with nature - not against it.

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

PARTNERING WITH SAVE OUR WATERCALIFORNIA
To help educate California residents on ways to efficiently take care of their yards during
drought, ScottsMiracle-Gro and Bonnie Plants partnered with Save Our Water California in 2022.
The partnership allowed us to reach more people in California through a program created by the
Association of California Water Agencies and the California Department of Water Resources.
The program’s goal is to make water conservation a daily habit.
highlighted several simple actions Californians can take to save water“ We’vein their yards while also maintaining a beautiful outdoor space. Whether
it’s making small tweaks to outdoor watering or planting a droughttolerant garden using herbs such as rosemary, lavender and garden sage,
California homeowners can make a big impact today.

”

We’re creating the balance between beautiful outdoor spaces and water stewardshipin three primary ways:

Ashley Bachmann, Vice President of Lawns

1) Research and development. Through the work of our experts and scientists, wedevelop groundbreaking products to mitigate drought and water quality impacts.
By providing options for consumers, we help meet their individual needs and thoseof the community. Examples include changes in our product formulation andapplication devices as well as drought-tolerant options, such as clover lawns andnative plants.

The campaign included Miracle-Gro and Bonnie Plants sponsored ads with products, tips andtricks to help conserve water. In addition, we distributed a joint press release and placed Save
Our Water signage and stickers in stores, further amplifying the water conservation message.
WATER USE (MEGALITERS)6FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Purchased Water

234.7

606.9

618.6

2) Environmental nonprofit partnerships. Through our support for environmentalorganizations, we’re helping further water stewardship efforts - including
responsible lawns, gardens and water use - on a regional and national level.

Well Water

837.1

2,591.1

938.7

Total Water Withdrawals

1,071.8

3,198.0

1,557.3

Water Withdrawal Intensity (per Production Ton)

0.000170.000430.00028

3) Consumer education. We’re embracing the new normal by educating people on
how to do more with less, from stretching water supplies to reimagining yards intogreenspaces that include gardens, groundcover and more.

Treated Wastewater Discharged7

2.7

7.38

3.6

Water Recycled and Reused9

25.8

16.6

8.0

APPENDIX

31 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

Organization-wide including corporate offices. In FY22, 56.76% of sites reported purchased water data and 25.68% of sites using well
water reported data. In FY21, 52.7% of sites reported purchased water data and 17.6% of sites using well water reported data. This
represents 60.8% of sites reporting water data in FY21. In FY20, 50% of sites reported purchased water data and 46.6% of sites using well
water reported data. This represents 72.4% of sites reporting water data in FY20.
7
FY2020 and FY2021 includes data from the Marysville plant. FY2022 includes Ft. Madison, Santa Rosa, and Marysville plants.
8
In our 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report, which addressed FY21 updates, we erroneously reported FY2021 Wastewater as 243.2
megaliters instead of 7.31 megaliters. Due to a calculating error, we identified that sanitary wastewater metrics were mistakenly
included, thus overreporting this number significantly. We have corrected this and have restated the amount in this year’s Corporate
Responsibility Report.
9
FY2020 includes data from Marysville, Jackson and Ft. Madison plants. FY2021 and FY2022 includes data from the Marysville and Ft.
Madison plants.
6

ENERGY AND EMISSIONSINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

We aim to reduce negative impacts to the environment stemmingfrom our energy usage and emissions generation. By reducing ourenergy use and increasing our energy efficiency, we can reducegreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our operations.
To correctly represent our emissions, we work to accurately capture
our energy footprint and data from all of our emissions sources.
In 2022, we made substantial progress toward understanding ourenergy and emissions impacts, including leveraging a third party
to establish and complete a robust GHG emissions inventory andbaseline. For more information on our climate and GHG impacts,
please see our 2022 CDP climate change response.
Our primary energy use comes from electricity and natural gas topower our operations as well as fleet fuel for our sales team. We
aim to convert 20% of our fleet to hybrid vehicles by 2025. We alsoseek ways to update and replace equipment to improve energy
efficiency at our sites. In 2022, our Marysville manufacturing facility
installed new natural gas boilers. We also replaced chillers at oneof our sites, resulting in an annual energy use reduction of nearly
100,000 kWHr.
Our products can also help our customers reduce emissions
by promoting energy efficiency. In 2022, we expanded thedevelopment of our industry-leading Hawthorne LED lighting
technology for use in the North America cannabis industry as
well as the professional horticulture sector in North America
and Europe. Our Gavita and Agrolux Wega brands are highly
efficient LED lights for indoor growing environments, producing
energy savings of up to 30 to 40 percent to traditional highintensity discharge (HID) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting
technology (based on wattage comparison). Additionally, in-house
testing conducted utilizing the Gavita 2400e demonstrated
improved yield versus traditional HPS fixtures. In fact, for thecannabis industry, we now only offer LED lighting because of theenergy savings and higher outputs it can bring, shifting awayfrom HID and HPS, a 30-year-old technology that has become anindustry commodity and is less energy efficient.

carbon dioxide, ProVista™ requires less mowing and weed control
than conventional turf. By requiring 50% less mowing, ProVista™
helps reduce carbon emissions generated by gas-poweredlawn mowers.
In 2022, we made a considerable investment in pollution control
equipment to reduce ammonia emissions from the resin-making
process at our Marysville location. This equipment, also known as a
Sulfuric Acid Scrubber, will reduce ammonia emissions and odors
to align with our plans to start manufacturing ammonium sulfate
for use as a raw material starting in 2025. Any wastewater fromthe scrubber will be reduced and crystallized, returning as raw
materials and clean water.
The emissions and energy tables below provide data on our GHG
emissions and energy consumption for the previous four fiscal
years. Data in these tables is enterprise-wide including Hawthorne
and corporate offices.
GHG EMISSIONS (MT CO2e)

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Scope 1

63,04857,481

82,778

Scope 2 - Location-Based

47,89555,01860,813

GHG Emissions Intensity (per Production Ton)

0.02

0.02

0.03

ENERGY USE (GJ)

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Total Use Energy

1,435,015

1,465,221

1,895,467

Energy Intensity (per Production Ton)

0.23

0.20

0.35

AIR EMISSIONS (kg)10

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022NOX

11,412.3

13,798.3

12,503.4

SOX

72.6

81.6

75.2

Particulate Matter (PM)20,130.3

21,944.8

16,438.2

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)-

2,068.4

1,909.7

10

Air emissions are collected and reported on a calendar year basis. ScottsMiracle-Gro issharing the air emissions from our Marysville, Ohio, Title V facility. The total air emissions
disclosed in this report do not rise to the level of reportability for the U.S. EPA, but represent
our company’s tracking and estimation of this data.

PROJECT GIGATON GIGA-GURU STATUS
ACHIEVEDIn 2022, ScottsMiracle-Gro achieved GigaGuru status11 in Walmart’s Project Gigaton™
initiative to reduce emissions in the global
value chain by 1 billion metric tons(a gigaton) by 2030. To achieve Giga-Guru
status, a supplier must set SMART goals(specific, measurable, achievable, relevant
and time limited), agree to share thesepublicly and report reduction of emissions
in the most recent reporting year.
Our goals aligned Walmart’s Nature,
Packaging and Enterprise-level categories,
resulting in a reported emissions
reduction of 56,661.5 metric tons of CO2
from reductions of waste, packaging andtransportation emissions. In 2023, weplan to continue making progress in CO2emission reductions within
Project Gigaton.

With a changing climate, some of our customers may needproducts that enable resource efficiency specific to their region.
Our ProVista™ turfgrass requires less frequent maintenance andreduces the amount of energy to maintain a lawn when compared
to conventional turfgrass. While all yards can minimize and absorb

32 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

11

Although Giga-Guru status was awarded in FY22,
the data on which this status was based is from FY21.

SUPPLIERSINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

We earn the trust of our consumers, partners, suppliers andshareholders every day by striving to make righteous decisions
and working with suppliers that uphold our values and highquality standards.
Our business relies on our suppliers to provide raw materials,
product components and other necessary additives, including
certain active ingredients used in our products. Our primary inputs
include product ingredients such as bark and grass seed, composts,
sphagnum peat, natural gas, diesel fuel, gasoline fuel, resins, urea
and other fertilizer inputs. We collaborate with our suppliers tosafeguard continuous supply, minimize costs and improve supply
predictability. To this end, we work with suppliers that we trust to
uphold our values and high quality standards. We engage with our
suppliers at our annual supplier conference to share best practices
and reinforce our expectations of corporate integrity, responsible
product sourcing, and the safety and wellbeing of workers acrossthe global supply chain.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Outlines our values and expectation of our business operations andindividual associates. It is the foundation upon which we develop both
our internal and external policies and guides the way we operate ourbusiness and interact with our business partners and communities.
Supplier Relations Policy
Outlines in more detail our Company’s expectations andguidelines for our associates in their interactions withthird parties, including our suppliers.

Supplier Code of Conduct
Outlines for our supplier partners the values that we holdand the expectation that we have for them, particularly inthe areas of environment, labor and social relations.

Supplier Engagement Program
The tool we use to bring our Supplier Code of Conduct
to life. Through this program, we engage with our
suppliers to help ensure that they understand ourSupplier Code of Conduct and are consistently
meeting our expectations as a supplier.

APPENDIX

In 2021, we developed our Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines
our standards and expectations of safe, ethical and fair businesspractices throughout our supply chain. In 2022, we communicated33 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

this Supplier Code of Conduct both internally and externally.
Through our Supplier Code of Conduct we are transparent
about our position on issues in areas such as slavery and humantrafficking, compensation and benefits, working hours, healthand safety, freedom of association and collective bargaining,
environmental protection and anti-bribery and corruption.
In addition to implementing our Supplier Code of Conduct in 2022,
we continued to develop our Supplier Engagement Program,created to help ensure that suppliers are conducting operationsin accordance with ScottsMiracle-Gro’s Supplier Code of Conduct
and to define a process to address any identified risks in a timely,
effective and efficient manner. The Supplier Engagement Program
enables transparency and goal setting around environmental
stewardship, emissions and human rights with some of our mostsignificant suppliers.
We recognize many of our suppliers are actively undertaking
their own sustainability initiatives, and through the Supplier
Engagement Program, we amplify their efforts throughmeasurement and accountability and increase our collective
impact. We have prioritized which suppliers to engage to achieve
higher levels of recognition as they advance their commitments
and demonstrate results. Our goal is to demonstrate improvement
on identified GroMoreGood goals among 75% of our suppliers by
2025. To reach this goal, we have a strategic partnership with athird-party platform to conduct a benchmarking assessment that
identifies our current performance and addresses corrective actions
for forward-looking plans.
We are also working with a third-party consultant to conduct a
risk assessment of our suppliers based on financial, geographic
and industry risks. Moving forward, this information will be used todevelop a program to evaluate our key suppliers on ESG metrics,
including topic areas of labor, health and safety, environment,
business ethics and management systems.

LOCAL PROCUREMENT
We make a conscious effort to source locally, especially for raw
materials, to help sustain local economies, ensure producttraceability and reduce environmental impacts from transportation.
We aim to source green waste materials for compost and growing
media products within 120 miles of the plant, on average. For more
information about our local procurement efforts, please see theInnovative Products section of this report.

POST-INDUSTRIAL
PLASTIC FILMSCRAP RECYCLINGPROGRAM
Our manufacturing plants generate asignificant amount of mixed plastic film
scrap, including raw material packaging
and production bag scrap. Mixed plastic
film scrap poses a significant recycling
challenge due to the material variety andpresence of product residue that cause
it to be incompatible with traditional
recycling methods.
Despite these challenges, starting in
2023 we will make progress toward
recycling these materials through ourpartnership with Brightmark LLC, anadvanced recycling solutions company.
Their pyrolysis-based process efficiently
converts the mixed film scrap to valuable
outputs including low-sulfur diesel fueland naphtha, which can be used as
feedstock to produce new plastics. Our
partnership is based on a multi-year
contract in which ScottsMiracle-Gro
manufacturing plants in close proximity
to the Brightmark facility will ship andrecycle up to 2,300 tons of scrap plastic
per year. Brightmark will start receiving
materials in the summer of 2023.

RESPONSIBLY SOURCING PEAT MOSSINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE ARE

Peat is a valuable ingredient in soil and potting mixes that homegardeners and commercial growers prefer for its unique properties. In
addition to providing an ideal soil consistency to support successful
plant growth, it has important environmental benefits, including
trapping carbon and supporting wildlife. We recognize that many
have concerns regarding peat harvesting. We focus on sourcing
peat responsibly and are proud to share that many of our peatmoss production sites in Canada are certified Veriflora® Responsibly
Managed Peatlands. The certification criteria seeks to ensure thateligible companies apply measures to preserve and restore these vital ecosystems while
minimizing the environmental impact.

OUR APPROACH
TO ESGIn Canada, where our peat is sourced, strict regulatory controls are in place regarding
access to the territory and conservation of its resources. Peatland management is well
documented and supported by scientific research.

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTS

ScottsMiracle-Gro Canada participates in collaborative research projects with universities
throughout Canada under the umbrella of the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG)- a collaboration between the scientific community, the peat industry and government
agencies - to improve our understanding of the impacts of peat use and the bestpractices for rehabilitation.

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

The PERG mission is to develop knowledge about peatlands and wetlands, and theirecological restoration in an effort to guide society’s choices regarding their responsible
management through education and research.
Notably, recent research has shown that:

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIES• A plant cover, composed of typical bog species dominated by Sphagnum mosses, canbe re-established within three to five years;• The productivity rate of Sphagnum mosses and the accumulation of organic matterin restored bogs after eight years are comparable to those in pristine sites; and• The annual carbon balance of restored peatland sites returns to values comparable to
SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

those of the natural environment within 10 to 15 years of restoration practices.

We value our relationships with Canadian indigenous communities and work
together to ensure open lines of communication and engagement with indigenous
community members in locations where we source peat moss. In 2022, we continued
our commitment to support an Aboriginal knowledge study to document the historicaluse of a specific peatland environment. As part of this study, a resource commissioned
by a group of Mi’kmaq communities is conducting excavations to identify and preserve
artifacts related to the peat bogs. The final report will be available in 2023 and will
establish the historical facts and Aboriginal traditions associated with this site.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
PEAT SOURCING
Q: Why is peat moss a staple for so many gardeners?
A: Peat moss has a unique ability to support healthy, thriving plants. This lightweightmaterial is naturally weed, pest and pollutant free. It helps keep both nutrients and water
available for plant growth — two of the biggest success factors for gardeners.
Its consistent quality also makes it a great ingredient in growing media mixes.
Q: Can peat harvesting be done responsibly?
A: Yes. SCS Global Services, a third-party sustainability service provider and certifier ofVeriflora® Responsibly Managed Peatlands, has established standards for responsible
horticultural peat moss production12. Key principles for responsible peat sourcing include:

•
•
•
•
•

Q: What is peatland restoration?
A: Peatland restoration aims to restore and promote the return of the ecological functionsof the peatland, including biodiversity, hydrological regulation and carbon sequestration.
Q: How does ScottsMiracle-Gro support responsible peat harvesting?
A: In addition to adhering to the Veriflora® standards necessary for certification and being
subject to strict governmental regulations and policies aimed to support the conservationof peatlands, Scotts Canada participates in a national research program with the Peatland
Ecology Resource Group (PERG) whose main research involves peatland management,
biodiversity, hydrology, greenhouse gasses and sphagnum farming.

12

34 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | OPERATING SUSTAINABLY

Creating a long-term plan from site opening to closing
Restoring as you go, to accelerate the return to a natural environment
Calculating GHGs and establishing an emissions reduction plan
Establishing a water quality management plan
Involving area communities in the site planning“Responsibly Managed Peatlands - SCS Global Services.” Responsibly Managed Peatlands, SCS Global Services, Aug. 2017,https://cdn.scsglobalservices.com/files/program_documents/scs_stn_responsiblymanagedpeatlands_v1- 0_080217_new.pdf.

Cultivating
StrongCommunities
We take action to GroMoreGood in our communities
by creating gardens and greenspaces that transformneighborhoods, encouraging people to spend time
outdoors and bringing people together. We support
the valuable causes we care about, including social
justice, protecting our environment and programs
that help kids understand and meet their full potential
to become the leaders of tomorrow.

PHILANTHROPIC COMMITMENTS
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

In 2016, we formed The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation to positively impact thecommunities where we operate through philanthropic efforts. Our efforts focus on
improving and protecting the environment, expanding community access to gardens andgreenspaces, empowering youth in underserved communities and furthering social justicein the cannabis industry. These commitments complement our ongoing ESG strategy
in the areas of environmental and water quality, diversity and inclusion and local
community engagement.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIPAt ScottsMiracle-Gro, we foster an internal dialogue regarding environmental stewardshipwith all our associates. Our stewardship programs and initiatives drive our positive
contributions toward a healthier planet. To demonstrate our commitment to caring forthe planet, we take action by investing in enhanced product formulations, e.g. introducing
more water-efficient products, and increasing consumer education on safe and appropriate
use of our products. Through corporate efforts and The Scotts
Miracle-Gro Foundation, we partner with experts and environmental
151.8M
groups across the U.S. to help preserve access to a safe, abundant
people reachedsupply of water and protect pollinators. In FY2022, we reachedthrough our
151.8 million Americans through our environmental partnerships
environmental
partnerships in 2022
surpassing our annual goal of 145 million Americans.

SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE WATER
Protecting water resources is a critical priority. We know water is essential to all living
things, including lawns and gardens, and nutrient pollution poses a critical threat to water
quality today. Excess amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen in water contribute to algal
blooms that kill aquatic life, impair drinking water and potentially impact human health.
To combat this pervasive issue, we formed the National Partner Network, a network ofenvironmental organizations at the forefront of change. With a combined reach of millionsof Americans, these organizations are tackling the overnutrification issue by driving
scientific innovation, protecting vital waterways and advocating for all Americans’ right tosafe and accessible water.

THE NATIONAL PARTNER NETWORKThe National Partner Network includes organizations whose focus
is to improve waterways and conserve water across the country
and to improve pollinator habitat restoration and preservation.
Together with our nonprofit partners, we’re working toward awater- and pollinator- friendly future.

36 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | CULTIVATING STRONG COMMUNITIES

139,974,442

square feetof habitat
protected/restored
in 20222022 NATIONAL PARTNER NETWORKMEETINGIn November 2022, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation hosted another
National Partner Network (NPN) meeting. This event in Galveston Bay,
Texas, brought together 15 of The Foundation’s environmental nongovernmental organization (NGO) partners to discuss environmental
issues, hear from experts, learn from one another and share resources
to tackle some of our most pressing environmental challenges head on.
NPN attendees presented on ESG-related topics such as:• Drought and water efficiency• The Inflation Reduction Act• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice• The state of water policy at state and federal levels• Nature-based and green infrastructure• Applying a human rights and public health lens to water stewardship andenvironmental work.
Leaders from our Lawns strategic business unit (SBU) and Research & Development(R&D) teams shared updates on “The Future of Gardens and Landscapes,” which
addressed initiatives related to water efficiency and other innovations. Our team also
shared a proactive drought communication approach and provided geographically
relevant tools and inspiration to create customized consumer “greenspaces” that workwith nature.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
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APPENDIX

18 National Partner Network members in 2022:• Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay• Alliance for the Great Lakes• Alliance for Water Efficiency• Council for Watershed Health• Galveston Bay Foundation• National Association of Conservation Districts• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation• National Recreation and Parks Association• New Jersey League of Conservation Voters• New York League of Conservation Voters• North Shore Land Alliance• Ocean Research & Conservation Association• Ohio Environmental Council• Restore America’s Estuaries• Save the Bay• Tampa Bay Watch• The Everglades Foundation• The Nature Conservancy

PROTECTING POLLINATORS
Pollinators play a critical role in maintaining the health of our global ecosystem andthe world’s food production. With pollinator populations declining around the world,
we are dedicated to protecting these essential creatures that make our gardens andcommunities thrive. The Pollinator Promise is our enterprise-wide commitment tosupport and protect pollinators. Our company fulfills this promise in a number of ways,
including by placing an emphasis on consumer education and creating our outdoor
Ortho branded products without neonicotinoid-based insecticides (“neonics”). Ourcontributions also include grant funding and pollinator education resources to support
pollinator gardens across North America.
For the fifth year in a row, we partnered with the National Recreation and Park
Association (NRPA) for our Parks for Pollinators program that establishes pollinatorhabitats in local parks and provides people with resources to better understandpollinators and how to protect them. Our annual Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz campaign
enables protection of local pollinators that are critical to our ecosystems and food supply.
This nationwide campaign invites community members to observe and document an
animal or plant species in a certain area and time period. Each participant contributes
to creating a snapshot of an area’s biodiversity, and adds to the scientific knowledge ofthat location. Using the iNaturalist mobile app, participants learn about pollinators while
they take photos of the biodiversity they encounter, including animals, plants, insects
and more. Photos are automatically uploaded to an international database for scientificresearch. By documenting biodiversity, scientists and land managers are provided auseful tool as they plan for the future. Our 2022 Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz engaged 171
park professionals and 77 organizations’ host projects in 24 states, engaging 4,248 people
in collecting observations.
37 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | CULTIVATING STRONG COMMUNITIESSUPPORTING POLLINATOR CONSERVATION
THROUGH THE NATIONAL FISH AND
WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
In 2022, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation provided a three year grant to the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to support The Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators
Conservation Fund. The fund provides pollinator conservation grants to federal, state, tribal
and local governments, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions whose work
seeks to advance the conservation of the monarch butterfly and other at-risk native insect
pollinators. Specifically, the funding supports:

•
•
•
•

Planting milkweed and nectar plants
Implementing habitat management (e.g., conservation mowing, grazing, burning)Collecting seed and propagating seedlings
Providing technical assistance to landowners

During the 2022 grant cycle, funding from The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation supported thefollowing projects:• The Practical Farmers of Iowa “Conservation Crossroads: Improving Habitat for Rusty•

Patched Bumble Bee and Other Pollinators (IA)” to provide technical assistance throughthe Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to restore and improve habitat for rusty
patched bumble bee, American bumble bee, regal fritillary, and other pollinators on
public lands and private working lands in northeastern Iowa. Project will restore or
improve 1,200 acres and reach 250 people.
The Pollinator Partnership’s “Project Wingspan: Habitat Enhancement Across Illinois andIndiana” to enhance habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators by providing
technical assistance for land managers, collecting native seeds, and distributing plantmaterials on public lands and private working lands in Illinois and Indiana. Project will
improve 2,000 acres, propagate 5,000 milkweed seedlings, collect 25 pounds of milkweed
seed, host 13 events, create 1 job, sustain 2 jobs, and reach 460 people.

In total, our annual BioBlitz campaigns have resulted in the following:

5,262

INTRODUCTIONWHO
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CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

people reachedwith pollinator
education

77

communities
built awarenessfor pollinators

171

park professionals
pledged to help
pollinators within
their communities

are critical for the health and“ Pollinators
wellbeing of our communities. Taking steps toprotect our various pollinators has never been
more important. Through our partnership withThe Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, communities
across the country have been engaged inunderstanding and advancing ways to protect
pollinators and their habitat. Hosting community science
projects like the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz in local parks
educates members of the public about the importance of ourpollinators and makes a pathway to engage and advocate forthis work in their community more broadly and impactfully.

”

Michele White, NRPA senior program manager of theParks for Pollinator campaign

CONNECTING COMMUNITIESTO THE BENEFITS OF GARDENSAND GREENSPACES
We believe in the power of connecting children, families andcommunities to gardening. Besides the many positive educational,
physical and therapeutic benefits, gardening engages children inhands-on learning and teaches them about where their food comesfrom. That’s why we’ve been committed to connecting people to thebenefits of gardens and greenspaces for decades.

APPENDIX

38 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | CULTIVATING STRONG COMMUNITIESOUR 10 MILLION KIDS COMMITMENTIn FY2022, we exceeded our goal to connect 10 million young people
to the benefits of gardens and greenscapes. The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Foundation has provided garden grants to organizations including
KidsGardening, National Head Start Association and National Farm
to School Network as well as contributed to fund greenspaces andcommunity gardens, schools and libraries. Additionally, throughthe programs supported by our brands such as Scotts® MLB Field
Refurbishment program, as well as corporate contributions to provide
gardening product donations, we have connected over 17 million
kids to the benefits of gardens and greenscapes both indirectly
and directly. We will continue making progress against this goal
throughout 2023.
gardening to getting outside to play ball,“ Fromour Foundation and our brands are committed

to connecting kids to the benefits of playing,learning and growing outdoors. We’re proud tohave exceeded our goal, but we’re not stopping
there as we look toward the rest of 2023 andbeyond.

In April 2018 the Humboldt Broncos,
a Canadian junior “A” ice hockey teamfrom Humboldt, Saskatchewan wereinvolved in a terrible tragedy in which
16 people lost their lives. People acrossCanada and the World were moved by
the loss experienced by the small town
in Saskatchewan. Like many Canadians,
Scotts Canada felt a strong desire tohonor those who lost their lives.

”

Brian Herrington,president of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation

2022 Impacts:

300+

gardens
supported

2,861,194
youth
reachedHUGS FORHUMBOLDT

25

hydroponic
gardens
established

To combat food insecurity and increase access to fresh food and safe
outdoor green spaces, we aspire to bring the power of gardening andthe outdoors to as many kids as possible. We partner with leading
nonprofit organizations and other organizations across the U.S. tobring this commitment to life.

In June of 2022, Scotts Canada opened
the Humboldt Urban Garden Sanctuary(HUGS), to honor the Humboldt Broncos
team and the families of the playersthat were impacted. Scotts Canada, inpartnership with Communities in Bloomand Landscape Saskatchewan/Landscape
Alberta, offered the City of Humboldt amemorial garden to act as an ongoing
sanctuary for healing. Situated at
the Humboldt District Health Facility
grounds, this garden serves as a place
to remember, reflect and rejuvenate thespirit of the community.

Our partners include:

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
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APPENDIX

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
KidsGardening
Major League Baseball™
National Farm to School Network
National Fund for the United States Botanic Garden Hands on
Plant Science Program
National Head Start Association
National Recreation and Park Association

In partnership with KidsGardening, our foundation funds hundredsof grassroots grants annually to support nonprofit organizations thatcreate or enhance youth garden programs across the country.

AeroGarden works to expand our GroMoreGood Hydroponic Garden
Project by connecting more students to the wonders and scienceof hydroponic gardening. Additionally, The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Foundation and Hawthorne Gardening Company collaborated with
the National Farm to School Network to integrate indoor growing
systems into elementary schools across the country. This partnershipaims to spark a passion for gardening and increase hands-on science
experiences by providing teachers with hydroponic growing devices,
next-generation science-aligned hydroponic curriculum and support
from gardening experts. In 2022, the schools we partnered with span
five states: Arizona, California, Florida, Washington, and Oregon.

SCOTTS CANADA GRO FOR GOOD

The Grassroots Grant provides funding to a variety of projects
designed to engage youth in communities, including pollinator
gardens, outdoor play spaces, edible gardens and therapeutic
greenspaces.

We recognize the need to protect and grow our collective connection
to nature, the environment and each other. In Canada, our Gro
for Good initiative is one way that we work to keep the spirit ofcommunity and connection to nature alive.

We partner with the National Head Start Association (NHSA) to bringedible gardens to Head Start programs across the country. This
program provides garden grants, kits and training along with othereducational resources to teach children, families and communities
how to grow their own fresh produce. This partnership allows us toprovide fresh food and hands-on gardening experiences to Head
Start children, and leads to a variety of benefits including increased
physical activity, improved behavior, decreased stress and anxiety,positive social integration, greater engagement with learning andcreative ways to move through curriculum and learning materials.

We commit to supporting greenspaces that improve communities
across Canada. Our Gro for Good initiative provides annual grants todeserving communities, schools and nonprofit civic organizations
to develop community gardens and greenspaces, engage youth,
address health and wellness needs and enhance the environment.

We encourage all families to GroMoreGood in their own backyards
and gardens by providing free learning activities for children andtheir families on our website.

ENCOURAGING STEM EDUCATION INSCHOOLS
We believe in enabling year-round learning and access to gardening,
regardless of climate. With many schools establishing indoor andhydroponic gardens to complement their traditional outdoor garden
programs, children in colder climates are able to grow plants inthe winter months while also experiencing the growing field ofhydroponics.

39 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | CULTIVATING STRONG COMMUNITIESEDUCATION
We believe that each person deserves to reach their full potential, so
we work to nurture and empower the next generation of gardeners,
growers, scientists and entrepreneurs in our communities.

THE LEGACY PROJECT
In partnership with The Hagedorn Legacy
Foundation, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation
empowers students in central Ohio to unlock
their full potential, achieve their educational andvocational goals and overcome obstacles throughThe Legacy Project. This initiative develops students through a multidisciplined curriculum that incorporates individualized coaching andmentoring, real-world career opportunities and immersive learning
experiences. Throughout this four-year high school level program,students are challenged to develop an entrepreneurial mindset,
develop financial literacy and create customized goals that help

THE COLUMBUS
BLUE JACKETSThe Legacy Project
offers students
immersive learning
experiences throughprogram-specificworkshops. In April of2022, Legacy students
were able to enjoy a behind-the-scenes
look at the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ).
For nearly every Legacy student, thiswas their first NHL experience. Students
participated in meaningful conversations
with individuals from the corporate
leadership team of CBJ, each sharing
their unique perspective on the common
theme that there is not just one rightpath to success. Panelists included Andee
Cochren, Senior Director, Fan Development& Community Programs; Marty Mulford,
Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service; andSamantha Hagan, Partnership Activation
Manager. Panelists each provided
overviews of their pathways into their roles,
lessons learned and advice for the future.
Their experiences showed Legacy students
an inside view into a sports organization
and all the associated opportunities.

them grow their “grit”. The Legacy Project provides each student a $20,000 scholarship tobe used toward post-secondary education and helps students become their best selves,
succeeding both in and after high school.
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE ARE

Students in their junior year are paired with a career mentor and are encouraged tolearn about a potential career through hands-on experiences. Students grow a better
understanding of their potential career by gaining real-world experience, beyond simply
job shadowing. They get to see what a day-in-the-life might look like by working with theircareer mentor. During the 2022 school year, 16 professionals from three business fields,
five STEM pathways, five medical fields, one legal field and four animation/design fields
paired with 11th grade Legacy Project students.

HAWTHORNE SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND
OUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Our Hawthorne Gardening Company subsidiary is North
America’s largest distributor of indoor growing and hydroponic
products. Hawthorne’s products serve growers of all types andsizes, including those who grow cannabis in compliance withapplicable law. While cannabis legalization is advancing acrossthe U.S., a variety of federal and state laws and complex racial, society and economic
inequalities tied to cannabis still persist. We commit to fighting for the reforms needed tocreate a more just and equitable cannabis industry — one that addresses past injustices
and provides all people in the U.S. with the opportunity to flourish.
We advance this commitment through the Hawthorne Social Justice Fund of The Scotts
Miracle-Gro Foundation. This fund drives positive change in communities by supporting adiverse group of organizations that commit to addressing social injustice. Support includes
advocating for criminal justice reforms, assisting re-entry for people with nonviolent, lowlevel cannabis convictions and increasing diversity in the legal cannabis industry.
In 2022, the Hawthorne Social Justice Fund announced its second set of grantees. Award
recipients were selected because of their powerful work associated with addressing thenegative impacts caused by the disproportionate number of cannabis-related arrestsand incarcerations involving persons of color. Through these grants, we aim to support
minority entrepreneurs and increase investments in minority communities. The work of
the Fund’s grantees includes:
Last Prisoner Project: Dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform, the Last Prisoner
Project works to release people with low-level cannabis convictions from prison in states
where it is now legal and to provide pathways to employment.
Marijuana Policy Project Foundation: A racial justice and social equity project seeking
to elevate cannabis reform as a civil rights issue at the national level and increase diverse
representation within the legal cannabis industry.

40 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | CULTIVATING STRONG COMMUNITIESSUPPORTING HANDS ON PLANT SCIENCEWITH THE FRIENDS OF THE U.S. BOTANICGARDENIn summer 2022, with support from The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, the U.S. Botanic
Garden and the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden collaborated with Kid Power DC tobring a Hands On Plant Science (HOPS) program to 147 students for four weeks in theDistrict of Columbia.
Students studied soil to better understand its composition and used it to plant pizza
gardens with oregano, basil, and tomatoes. They also conducted seed experiments,
microscopically examined pollen to solve a plant mystery, built flower models to better
understand pollination, studied maps to locate their communities and explored trees intheir neighborhoods.
Kid Power staff reported that for many of their students, this was the first time using
microscopes and that, “… the level of excitement about the microscopes was just out of
this world.” At the conclusion of the HOPS program, students took home their journals
and handheld lenses and some students requested to take home extra supplies so they
could perform the experiments again.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
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TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Minorities for Medical Marijuana: Provides advocacy, outreach,research and training as it relates to the business, social reform,
public policy and health/wellness in the cannabis industry. Its
Project Clean Slate program offers expungement clinics andwraparound services nationwide for those affected by past
marijuana possession charges, while Project Safe Access NV
assists members of the Latino community in accessing
medical marijuana.
Mission Green (The Weldon Project): The Mission Green initiative
works to secure the release of those serving time for cannabisrelated offenses and create pathways to expungement or pardon
so that those impacted may go on to live meaningful lives. The
Mission Green campaign is led by leaders who have been impacted
by the social justice system and have lived through the issues theorganization is working to address. Those most harmed by thesystem are uniquely qualified to create and champion the solutions
that will transform it.
NuLeaf Project: The NuLeaf Project works to build
intergenerational wealth via the legal cannabis industry forthe communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis
criminalization — including Black, Indigenous and Latinx
communities. Hawthorne is a corporate sponsor for the Nu School
Accelerator Program, which offers financial support and technicalexpertise on cannabis startup financing and operating anancillary business.
United Returning Citizens: The United Returning Citizens
partnership provides job search and training, life and financial
literacy skills as well as transitional and stable housing primarily
for citizens reentering society from correctional facilities. Thispartnership focuses on workforce development and helping
people with cannabis convictions in a high-unemployment area
(e.g. Youngstown, Ohio) find employment and start businesses inhemp and indoor cultivation.
Supernova Women: Founded in 2015 by Black and Brown women,
Supernova Women is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works
to empower Black and Brown people to become self-sufficient
shareholders in the cannabis and natural plant medicine space
through education, advocacy and network building. In Oakland,CA, we are working with Supernova Women to provide assistanceto the mostly minority-owned cannabis businesses that have fallen
victim to a very well-organized and violent crime spree targetingthem for their cannabis products and California excise tax receipts.

41 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | CULTIVATING STRONG COMMUNITIESBronx Defenders: Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit
that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx
are represented in the justice system. Bronx Defenders pioneereda ground-breaking, nationally recognized model of defense called
holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for clients.
The organization has defended 27,000 low-income Bronx
residents in criminal, civil, child welfare and immigration cases,
and reached thousands more through community intake andoutreach programs.

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS
FOUNDATION
The largest single grant to date of The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Foundation’s Hawthorne Social Justice Fund will support fourJohn R. Lewis Social Justice Fellows within the Congressional Black
Caucus Foundation. The Fund provides $600,000 over two years
for the fellows to focus on research related to cannabis policy andsocial justice reform and to propose solutions to Congress.
Approaching the second year of the Hawthorne Social Justice
Fund’s partnership with the Congressional Black Caucus
Foundation, the initial group of fellows is committed to research
related to cannabis policy and social justice reform. The prevailingthemes of their work in year one have been focused on legislative
recommendations for advancing social equity in cannabis alongwith researching cannabis related criminal justice and healthcare
policy. Their capstone projects will culminate in federal legislative
recommendations for advancing social equity in cannabis.
The fellows have built a tremendous foundation of research thatthey will soon pass along to a new group of fellows, who will be
named in 2023.

HOW MIRACLE-GRO®
GREW KINDNESSON OHIO STATE’SCAMPUS
When The Ohio State University
reached out to us in March 2022 with anopportunity to give out plants to students
in the spirit of mental health and kindness,
our Miracle-Gro brand said, in so many
words, how much soil do you need andhow can we help.
The theme of the event, developed andcoordinated by several of Ohio State’sunits, including the Office of Student
Life, was kindness, both to ourselves andothers. The vehicle for that kindness wasplants, small succulents to be specific.
Members of the Buckeye community
who participated in the day received twoplants, one for themselves and one togive away to someone else. Miracle-Gro
was happy to provide soil and associate
volunteers to help with the kind, plant day.
According to the Journal of Environmental
Horticulture, research has shown the actof caring for houseplants can improvemental health, so Ohio State and MiracleGro took that to heart on this early
spring day.

OTHER COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS AND INITIATIVESINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

We seek to give back to and support the communities where we operate. By providing product donations to local communities andorganizations, and through associate volunteer efforts, we work to strengthen our communities, encourage healthier lifestyles and create
community gardening, greenspaces and beautification projects.

PELOTONIAAMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

Since 2010, a team of associates has participatedannually in Pelotonia, a three-day cycling and volunteer
experience that raises awareness and funds forinnovative cancer research. The grassroots nonprofit
organization, located in Columbus, Ohio, has one
goal: to end cancer. Funds are raised year-round, and 100% of allparticipant-raised funds go directly to life-saving cancer research at
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur
G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institutein Columbus, Ohio.

Over the last 14 years, our company has participatedin the American Heart Association Central Ohio Heart
Walk to raise a total of $2.15 million for cardiovasculardisease research. ScottsMiracle-Gro was the number
one fundraiser in 2022 in central Ohio, raising $415,000.
In addition to providing financial support, more than 5,000
associates, families and friends have participated in the Walk toshow their support since the program’s inception. Along with thiseffort, our team encourages associates to spend time outside andwalk for better health throughout the year.

In 2022, associates and their immediate family members set
personal goals to raise cancer awareness and rode one of eightroutes through central Ohio that ranged from 20 to 200 miles.
Our team has raised over $2.8 million since joining the annual
event over a decade ago.

Since 2008

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

42 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | CULTIVATING STRONG COMMUNITIES

14

9

$2.15

Heart
Walks

Teaching
Gardens

Million+RaisedHAWTHORNE
DONATIONS TO
KENTUCKY FLOOD
VICTIMS
During July 2022, several thunderstorms
brought heavy rain, deadly flash flooding
and devastating river flooding to eastern
Kentucky and central Appalachia. Whena community member reached out
to companies for support, Hawthorne
Gardening Company (HGC) stepped in totake action and make a positive impact
on the affected communities. To support
community members in need, HGC
donated an assortment of nearly 200
dehumidifiers and over 1,200 fans to help
the community recover. By supporting
communities, we uphold our company’s
purpose to GroMoreGood, and we areproud to play a role in the communities’
recovery process as they work to rebuild.

Supporting
Our People
Every associate in every role within our company isimportant to our success. Our high-energy, highperformance culture is the hallmark of how we
GroMoreGood for and with our associates. We support
our associates by helping them grow professionallyand encouraging them to achieve their personal best,
taking a holistic approach to wellness and safety inorder to support a LiveTotal Health mindset.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLEOUR CULTURE

CULTURAL ATTRIBUTES

Our culture and commitment to our associates sets our company
apart. We strive to create an environment that values the health,safety and wellness of our associates, and we work to equip themwith the knowledge and skills to serve our business and develop in
their careers.

WHO WE ARE

For over 150 years, our company has been headquartered in
Marysville, Ohio and we are proud that generations of families haveworked for us. All parts of our business play a role in our success,from our supply chain, sales team, marketing experts and R&D
scientists to our strategic support functions such as tax, finance,
human resources and legal. Collaboration throughout our businessallows us to deliver our strategic priorities.

• Accountable: Own results. Learn from your mistakes. Stand up
for your team. Improve continuously.

• Empowered: Give authority. Make decisions. Move forward withcourage and conviction.

• Collaborative: Involve others. Seek out additional knowledge andexpertise. Work towards mutual solutions.

• Flexible: React quickly and thoughtfully to changes. Adapt.
Accept new challenges and assignments.

• Ethical: Always strive to do the right thing and act with integrity.
When in doubt, reach out.

We provide many opportunities for our associates to grow anddevelop. In fact, several members of our current leadership teamstarted their careers as merchandisers supporting our in-store
consumers; others have rotated or held multiple positions throughtheir long tenure. Our associates are able to build and develop
careers everywhere we operate across a vast array of job functions
and responsibilities.

HOW WE GROW

We encourage associates to take an active role in discussions about
our business and our culture. With volunteer opportunities andcross-functional projects, we foster a workplace where everyone
feels included. This work allows us to cultivate a diverse and inclusive
workplace that reflects the values of the communities in which
we operate.

ASSOCIATE GARDEN

Our company and our associates embrace Miracle-Gro founder
Horace Hagedorn’s maxim that “You can’t always take from theearth. You have to give something back.” To support our associates
in their desire to give back to their communities, we provide ourGive Back to Gro Associate Community Service Program, providing
one paid day off per year to all eligible associates in order to serve
the causes that they are passionate about. For more information
about the support we provide to our communities, please refer to the
Cultivating Strong Communities section of this report.

APPENDIX• Innovate: Challenge conventional thinking. Bring solutions. View
change as an opportunity.

• Respect diversity: Value the unique thoughts and opinions of•others. Work together with mutual respect.
Be entrepreneurial: Be committed. Take calculated risks.

Our Associate Garden originally served as a training ground for
associates to learn first-hand how our products work and try out ourinnovations, but it quickly evolved into a way for our associates to
get their hands dirty and give back to our local communities. Since
2009, our associates have maintained these vegetable gardens at
our company headquarters in Marysville, Ohio. In these spaces, we
use our products to grow fresh produce. The harvested produce
is donated to several local food pantries to serve food-insecurefamilies in central Ohio, such as the Marysville Food Pantry, which
services approximately 75 food-insecure families a week. To date,
our associates have produced over 47,000 pounds of fruits andvegetables for neighbors in need.

ASSOCIATE BOARD
To improve overall morale and enrich our work environment, we
implemented the Scotts Associate Board, which provides services,
activities, education, social and volunteer opportunities to ourassociates. Additionally, the Scotts Associate Board provides services

44 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE

Associate Garden in Marysville, Ohio

that enable our associates to both extend and receive a helping
hand when needed13. The Scotts Associate Board also contributes
community donations to causes and organizations acrossthe country.
INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESDIVERSITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
We value our associates’ diversity and encourage them to leverage
their varied life experiences at our company. This includes diversity
in terms of gender, sexuality, race, thoughts, interests, languages,
beliefs and much more. By fostering an inclusive culture, building
a diverse team and encouraging accountability, we increase ourassociate engagement while improving consumer experience where
we live and work.
To further advance a diverse and inclusive culture outside of theworkplace, we offer associates an additional paid day off to celebrate
their culture. This year we received a score of 100% on the Human
Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index (HRC CEI) and thedesignation of being one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ
Equality” in 2022. The HRC CEI is a benchmarking survey and reportmeasuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+
workplace equality.

HUMAN RIGHTS
We are committed to upholding human rights. We seek to operate
all aspects of our business responsibly, honestly and ethically. This
commitment is not only to our associates, but also extends to ourcustomers and suppliers.
Our human rights commitments include the following:• We respect all individuals and are committed to treating
SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE•
APPENDIX••••

all associates with respect and dignity, regardless of any
characteristic such as race, religion, national origin, sexual
orientation or gender identity or expression. We also expect thesame of our suppliers and business partners.
We strive to treat people fairly and prohibit discrimination in ourbusiness and beyond.
We do not tolerate intimidation or harassment.
We have processes in place to help ensure we comply
with voluntary employment and minimum working age
legal requirements.
We respect our associates’ rights to form and join a labor union,
and we comply with all applicable local and national laws

45 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE

concerning freedom of association and collective bargaining
agreements, which cover approximately 4% of our associates. We
bargain in good faith with union representatives in cases where
our associates are part of a legally recognized union.
We have a strong track record as a company of treating ourassociates like family and “doing the right thing” for our people
with or without representation.

We continually strive to provide all our employees with a safe
workplace, free from all forms of harassment and discrimination.
We have global policies and practices to ensure the highest ethicalstandards. Ethical behavior is our most important cultural attribute– we all have a commitment to operate ethically and lead withintegrity. To help associates navigate our Ethics resources andbehavioral expectations at the Company, the Ethics Department hasdeveloped a newsletter, The Perennial. The Perennial is published
on a quarterly basis and is geared towards helping our associates
understand their role in protecting each other and the company.
All our employees are to be treated fairly and equitably regardlessof nationality, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation,
language or any other protected status.

ASSOCIATE ENGAGEMENT
Our business success depends on the engagement of our associates.
To drive engagement, we take a purposeful approach focusedon enhancing the employee experience. Because our businessexperienced a great deal of change in the last year, our focus has
centered on creating a positive workplace and increasing trustin leadership.
Two way communication is important to our success; it builds
trust and helps improve collaboration and overall engagement. To
ensure we hear the voices of our associates, we gather feedback
formally and informally throughout the year through pulse surveys,
leadership meetings and round table discussions, among otherinitiatives. This valuable input is shared with senior leadership andintegrated as human capital initiatives are defined.
We understand an informed workforce contributes to an engaged
workforce. As a result, we’ve prioritized ensuring our associates,
Effective FY23, we incorporated the Scotts Family Tree ERG into the Associate Board. With
this addition, the Associate Board empowers associates with information and tools in support
of a healthy work-life balance, supporting associates with access to information relevant totheir specific circumstances and providing the resources they need to live their best lives. It
also connects associates with other associates who have shared life experiences and builds a
community through volunteerism.

13

INTRODUCTIONWHO
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TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIES

regardless of location or job, have access to the information theyneed to understand the business decisions being made, the reasons
behind them and how changes will impact them in their role. To
accomplish this, we execute comprehensive change management
plans to support our associates through business transitions.
Recognizing there is significant value in hearing directly from ourleadership team, we continue to host Town Hall meetings eachquarter to disseminate enterprise-wide information and to allow
interactive communication.
There are times when an associate’s direct manager is thebest resource with whom to communicate one on one. In
those scenarios, we’ve provided our managers with a toolkit of
information, setting up both the manager and the associate forsuccess. When a topic affects both our associates and their family,
we utilize both email and direct mail to ensure important messages
reach the affected individuals. To communicate positive associatestories, we leverage our intranet and have added location-based
digital signage to share headlines in real time.

EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS
Our employee resource groups (ERGs) are voluntary,
associate-led groups that are typically formed by people witha common affinity, such as gender, race, national origin, sexual
orientation, military status or other attributes. Each ERG establishes
a mission that positively impacts the business by cultivating
relationships through networking and developing talent throughexperiences, programs and mentoring. Our ERGs drive continuous
improvement of our inclusive work environment and are open to
all associates, regardless of the business department, location or
management level.
Our ERGs include:

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIXSCOTTS ASSOCIATES FOR A GREENER
EARTH (SAGE)
SAGE is a dedicated group of individuals whochampion sustainable practices and programs
across our company. The group includes morethan 40 active members spanning corporate, R&D
and plant operations throughout North America.
Vital to many of our sustainability initiatives, including promoting
an onsite food composting program, SAGE members work withfacilities to implement several environmentally-friendly projects and
46 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE

connect associates with environmental volunteering opportunities
at nature preserves and community gardens. In addition to driving
key sustainable initiatives that support our company’s purpose,the group also aims to help associates develop sustainable living
practices in their own lives.
In 2022, SAGE participated in three community events inpartnership with The Ohio Nature Conservatory, including tree
planting and seeding and invasive seed removal at Big Darby
Headwaters, a 1,000-acre preserve encompassing a mixture ofwetlands and streamside forests. Additionally, SAGE members
published informative articles covering a variety of sustainability
topics including plant-based meals, sustainable gift giving andreal life experiences using residential solar. These articles wereboth relatable and actionable for our associates. SAGE also heldan e-waste event at our Marysville campus in 2022, encouraging
associates to bring their old electronics for safe and proper recycling
and disposal.

SCOTTS WOMEN’S NETWORKScotts Women’s Network (SWN) has several
hundred members dedicated to maximizing
women’s career potential and leadership skills andstrengthening our leadership diversity. SWN hosts
regular professional development and networking events andconnects its members to meaningful volunteer opportunities.
Each year, SWN promotes International Women’s Day by planninga variety of events throughout the month of March. The theme for2022 was #breakingthebias. Events included member takeover of
our internal social media page, a panel discussion with four external
female non-profit leaders and our signature keynote address
featuring current board member, Nancy Mistretta.
SWN has continued its popular Virtual Visits series, hosted by a SWN
Steering Committee member and a female leader. The visits covera wide variety of topics in a relaxed, virtual setting. This approachprovides an opportunity for SWN members to meet female
ScottsMiracle-Gro executives and board members, understand theirjourney and gain insights.
Our annual partnership with The Girl Scouts of Central Ohio
educated 25 participants on attracting pollinators to theirgardens through a virtual event. We also partnered with Fidelity
Investments for the first time to promote financial literacy among
SWN members. More than 100 members joined this webinar that
addressed retirement planning.

Tracy Watson

GRO-MASTERS
Our internal chapter ofToastmasters International,
Gro-Masters, meets
twice a month andprovides a supportiveand positive learning
experience for associates who want tobecome more effective speakers andcommunicators, build leadership skills
and become more confident providing
evaluations and feedback. Gro-Masters
members communicated the benefits ofthis resource throughout the month ofJanuary through learning events, activities
and testimonials.
Gro-Masters has given me the“opportunity
to network across the

Scotts organization and practicepresenting to coworkers who may
not be in my department. The
diverse group of employees allows
for varying points of views andfeedback. Ultimately, the feedback
I’ve received through Gro-Masters
has allowed me to continue
improving my presentations andhas made me a more effective
communicator and leader.

”Tracy Watson, Finance Lead Analyst

SCOTTS BLACK EMPLOYEE NETWORKINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIXThe Scotts Black Employees Network (SBEN)
has helped support, develop, connect,
empower, recruit and retain talented Black,
African, African American and Caribbean
associates since 2015. SBEN’s vision is to promote a cultureof inclusion, engagement and equity by fostering supportive
environments, developing greater understanding and promoting
more leadership opportunities for employees of the African
diaspora at our company. SBEN fosters relationships–within ourorganization and with surrounding communities–to promoteawareness of Black cultures, share knowledge and experiences
and provide professional development and career advancement
opportunities at all levels. The group also sponsors and facilitates arange of education and engagement programming for associates
throughout the year, such as instruction on topics of social justice,
African American history, financial planning and contributions tosociety. SBEN leverages Black History Month each year to host avariety of social and educational events for all associates. This past
year their signature event included an engaging discussion on
the documentary 13th with Roz McCarthy, Founder/CEO at Black
Buddha Cannabis & Minorities for Medical Marijuana.

SCOTTS VETERANS NETWORKScotts Veterans Network (SVN) exists to recruit,
develop, connect, empower and retain veteransby providing opportunities and resources toenhance their professional development andbusiness success within our company. SVN is open
to currently active military members, veterans,
associates with family members or friends serving in
the military and those who want to support them.
SVN supports a variety of causes, such as the Heroes for Heroes 5K
Mud Run and the nonprofit organization Canine Companions for
Independence, which trains and places service dogs with veteransexperiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and otherdisabilities. The group partners with our recruiting team to translate
military resumes and provide guidance on how military skills
transfer to the workplace. They also sponsor the Scotts Veterans
Challenge Coin, presented to associate veterans in honor of
their service.

47 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE

In fall 2022, our associates participated in the Central Ohio Veterans
Event whose mission is to “improve the lives of Veterans byconnecting them to social services and professional resources for
success in their personal/professional lives.” The group was proud
to have 32 ScottsMiracle-Gro representatives on hand at this annual
event. During the holiday season, we proudly collected gift cards
for organizations like Union County Military Support Group, whose
mission is to help military families during times of need.

SCOTTS YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Scotts Young Professionals (SYP) is dedicatedto connecting, growing and guiding the next
generation of leaders by fostering innovation,
engagement and new ways of thinking at
our company. SYP members organize regular
networking and mentorship events, participate in charity
fundraisers and volunteer to mentor central Ohio youth throughThe Legacy Project. SYP volunteers worked with Legacy Project
students to talk about career planning and conduct a “Learn ‘nGrow” workshop. In April, SYP celebrates Young Professionals monthand dedicates resources to helping young professionals across ourorganization grow by driving more impact in their communities,
growing more financial prowess and health and leading others
as they develop in their careers. These efforts lean into the SYP
mission of embracing the evolving workplace and fostering our next
generation of leaders.

GroPride

SCOTTS GROPRIDE
GroPride is dedicated to fostering an inclusive,
supportive global network for associates

Scotts Young Professionals

and provides a forum for education and awareness in support ofthe professional growth of LGBTQ+ individuals. GroPride continues
to support the Kaleidoscope Youth Center through volunteer,
fundraising and educational opportunities. Kaleidoscope is a
Columbus, Ohio based organization whose goal is to stand for aworld where everyone can be their most confident, authentic self.
GroPride has also worked with the Human Rights Campaign tosupport our company’s participation in the Corporate
Equality Index.
To celebrate June pride month, GroPride participated in two local
pride parades, in Marysville, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio.

Scotts Black Employee Network

ASSOCIATE BENEFITS AND
LIVETOTAL HEALTHINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTS

Our passion extends far beyond gardening and growing to include
the wellbeing of our associates and their family members. We
are a company rooted in family since our founding in 1868, andour LiveTotal Health program showcases our commitment tosupporting our associates and their families’ wellbeing, providing
flexible benefits that work for everyone.

LiveTotal Health
BENEFITS OVERVIEW
We believe that providing benefits that improve the quality of
our associates’ lives is crucial for a positive associate experience.
Our comprehensive U.S. benefits package includes:• Healthcare coverage (medical, prescription drugs,
OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

dental and vision)
Retirement Savings Plan
Discounted Stock Purchase Plan
Domestic partner benefits
Tax-advantaged accounts (FSAs and HSAs)
Wellness programs
Mental health support
Financial protection (life and disability, supplemental
medical insurance)
Family planning support
100% paid maternity leave (medical recovery)
Up to 10 weeks of parental leave for mothers and fathers
Adoption, surrogacy and elective egg-freezing assistance
Legal services support
Time off benefits (vacation and sick time)

Our industry-leading retirement benefits continue to set us apartfrom other companies. We provide an exceptional company
matching contribution for the 401(k) Plan - up to 7.5%. We also
make ownership of ScottsMiracle-Gro stock a reality for as many of
our associates as possible; through our Discounted Stock Purchase
Plan (DSPP), our associates have a unique opportunity to buy our
Common Shares at a 15% discount.
48 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE

Recognizing that healthcare can be complex, we formed a newpartnership with an innovative leader in the healthcare navigation
and advocacy space. Through this partnership, we provide ourassociates and their family members with access to healthcare
experts who can guide them throughout their healthcare journeys.
We recognize that building a family can take a variety of forms, andeach pathway to parenthood is deserving of support. Whether thejourney involves a natural pregnancy, adoption, fertility or surrogacy,
our benefits are designed to help. In addition to offering an expertlevel family building program, we provide up to a $30,000 lifetime
reimbursement benefit for adoption and surrogacy expenses andmedical plan coverage for fertility and elective egg freezing. We
also provide time for child birth and bonding, including 8 weeks off
with 100% pay for maternity recovery, and up to 10 weeks of leave
for mothers and fathers to bond with their child. All regular full-time
associates – whether in an opposite-sex or same-sex relationship,
and whether married or in a committed domestic partnership, areeligible for this benefit.
The overall well-being of our associates continues to be a highpriority at Scotts. From our onsite fitness classes and access topersonal trainers at our Marysville wellness center to our ongoing
fitness challenges, our associates have a variety of ways toparticipate in physical activity. We are also excited to announce
an enhanced Wellness Reimbursement Program to support
our associates’ total well-being goals. The program provides areimbursement up to $600 toward various wellbeing expenses —from mental health to financial wellness expenses and more.
In Canada we also offer a comprehensive benefit program,including medical and dental insurance, life insurance, disability
coverage, vacation and sick time. We provide a competitive
retirement (RRSP) program with a 6% company matching
contribution, plus a profit-sharing matching contribution for
associates who are not eligible for a company bonus. Canada
associates are also eligible for our Discounted Stock Purchase
Plan (with 15% discount) and a $600 reimbursement for wellbeing
expenses.

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY
We believe financial health is a core component to our associates’
overall wellbeing. This is why we are committed to ensuring weare paying our associates fairly and competitively based on theirroles. To do this, each year we conduct an analysis of our pay andcompensation practices, from both an external market and internalconsistency perspective, to ensure that our pay decisions are fair

NEW MAVEN
BENEFITS
We recognize how
important family is to
our associates, andunderstand that thepathway to parenthood
isn’t a one-size-fitsall experience. That’s why we partnerwith Maven, the largest virtual clinic
for women’s and family health, and theleading expert in helping individuals
navigate their parenthood journey.
Maven provides resources for a varietyof parenthood experiences and needs,
including:• Fertility & Family Planning• Pregnancy & Postpartum• Adoption & Surrogacy
With Maven, our associates and theirspouses or partners have unlimited
virtual access to specialists in women’sand family health, as well as theirown Care Advocate to help themfind individualized care and navigate
benefits. Maven provides our associateswith referrals to high-quality fertility
clinics if needed, and access to otherresources such as virtual classes, helpful
articles and community forums.

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

and equitable; making adjustments as needed. Taking care of ourpeople means doing the right thing day to day but also sharing
our financial successes. This comes to life through our incentive
plans for eligible participants and our profit sharing program forthose who aren’t incentive eligible. At the end of the day, when
the company wins financially each full time associate shares in
the profit, from our frontline hourly associates all the way to ourleadership team. From a governance perspective,our internal
compensation team provides regular updates to the Compensation& Organization Committee of the Board of Directors which has
oversight over the Company’s compensation and employee benefit
plans and practices.

TALENT ACQUISITION
Our associates are our most valued asset. To grow that asset, we
will continue to engage both our internal talent to support theircareer goals and aspirations while also attracting a diverse external
candidate pool. Our Talent Acquisition (TA) team plays an integralrole in attracting the right talent. As a majority of TA work is focusedon hourly hiring (full-time and part-time), it is important that we
identify unique ways to advertise our roles to attract diverse talent.
In addition to working with our local leaders to understand places
to connect with talent pools that align with their communities, wehave expanded nationwide by creating a job advertising partnershipwith AARP. Our TA team continually searches to uncover additional
channels to engage the external marketplace and present adiverse candidate pool. We know that our commitment to socialand environmental issues plays a critical part in quality candidates
choosing us as an employer of choice.
We continue to evolve our internship program, which identifies
strong talent eager for opportunity and development, while also
creating meaningful impact in the departments they support.
Our internship program allows for a more seamless transition
from graduation to a full time associate role as interns are alreadycomfortable with our culture, strategies and goals, and set up
for success.
Our Employee Referral Program encourages our associates toinspire others to join our company. This program helps to meet our
staffing needs, but also provides associates with a monetary reward
for helping us identify talent.

49 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE

We understand the broader workforce has changed its perspective
on work life balance, and in response, we have broadened
employment opportunities that include onsite, hybrid andremote options. This flexible approach will continue to benefit theorganization as it provides a much larger candidate pool to engage.
We are committed to pay equality, and therefore made salaryranges visible on all roles posted both internally and externallybeginning in FY2023. We believe this will provide a beneficial
experience to all candidates we engage.

ONBOARDING
We believe the new hire onboarding experience is pivotal in
shaping an associate’s acclimation into our business. Our newhire orientation program, Taking Root, provides new hires with an
engaging, self-paced, online orientation experience that facilitates
their journey to learn about essential company information andinitiatives. Through this program, all associates are introduced toour company through the global lens of Who We Are, Where We’ve
Been and How We Work. Associates are also introduced to our Codeof Business Conduct and Ethics and are guided through content
covering our commitment to leadership, ethics and core values.
In addition to orientation, managers provide new hires an
onboarding plan specific to their role and level within ourorganization that they complete during their first year of
employment. Additional training programs include instruction on
our ethical expectations and commitment to a workplace free ofharassment and discrimination. Important environmental healthand safety training also helps ensure we protect both our people
and the environment in our operations.

INVESTING IN DEVELOPMENTGROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
We view the development and retention of our associates as
valuable components of our business operations and critical tocreating a culture of leadership. We believe for development
to operate at the speed of business, it must operate within theworkflow and be woven into and around authentic tasks andgenuine workplace contributions. We accelerate development

INTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

through a blended model with 70% of learning happening
through experiences, 20% through exposure and 10% throughformal education. By embedding learning in day-to-day work, we
encourage associates to transform while performing. In addition, we
stress the importance of embracing a growth mindset to promotepersonal and professional growth.
In 2022, we focused on supporting continuous learning with
relevant, best-in-class learning tools and experiences. By leveraging
online micro-learning and virtual learning events, we’re able tosupport unique learning styles, balance time constraints andpromote retention. Through our partnerships with industry experts,
we offer both live and on-demand learning content focused on
accelerating the development of practical skills and competencies.
All of our content is hand-selected and updated frequently to alignto the individualized development needs of our associates andaddress trending topics. In 2022, our associates averaged almost 80
hours of learning per associate.
Regardless of role, all associates have the opportunity to learn new
skills through exposure and involvement in business challenges. Our
managers support associates on the job through cross-functionalteam assignments, expanded roles and rotational assignments. Our
ongoing development processes are designed to grow knowledge,
improve skills and capabilities and achieve competence in specificbehaviors to meet performance expectations and prepare forpotential future roles within our Company.

PEOPLE LEADER DEVELOPMENTCULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

Our people leaders are critical to strong associate engagement
and sustained business success. The challenges we face today
require a more deliberate focus on human-centered leadership. To
accelerate the development of these skills in our people leaders,
we provide core and individualized learning content to help people
leaders think, behave and learn in ways that enable others to thrive.
We invested in an online leadership development platform thatspecializes in building human skills through bite-sized activities andpractical application.
We also created a customized online course to educate our people
leaders on their responsibilities throughout the associate lifecycle. In
this interactive course, our people leaders learn more about what is
expected, why it matters and how to be effective as they lead theirfunctional area and support the associates on their team. These
tools help our people leaders continuously evolve human-centeredleadership skills.
50 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLEPERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
We know meaningful performance management is important tomoving our business forward and retaining our people. This year,
we transformed our approach to focus on simplified performance
activities that drive meaningful conversations and accountability.
To support building skills and driving behaviors, we introduced
new educational tools focused on performance reviews, goals,
development planning and fostering ongoing conversations.
While our formal performance review process has always beenan opportunity for authentic two-way dialogue, we enhanced
the process this year to ensure our associates and managers
used this conversation as an opportunity to celebrate success,align on priorities, discuss development and support needed. We
introduced a new 3-point performance rating scale that supports
objectively measuring and discussing performance through specificprofessional and leader behavior examples. This simplified approachis easily understood and can be consistently applied. As an outcomeof the performance conversation, our associates have clarity on
goals as well as feedback to guide development planning. Moving
forward, there is a renewed focus on progress check-ins to ensureassociates and managers stay connected and continuous feedbackis happening throughout the year.

TALENT PLANNING
Having the right talent in the right roles is critical to achieve ourbusiness priorities. To ensure professional growth and succession
readiness, we are committed to assessing and developing ourinternal talent. The first stage of the talent planning process
identifies gaps between current talent and our business needs,
leveraging a standard methodology focused on learning agility
and overall performance to objectively evaluate skills. We also use
formal assessments to identify a person’s strengths, developmentareas, readiness and fit for future roles. We then compare theseevaluations to our definition of top talent for each role. Based on
the gaps between our evaluations and talent needs, we establish
appropriate development plans. Our development plans include
a variety of supportive tools and experiences such as executive
exposure, ongoing feedback and development discussions,
intentional promotions, rotational assignments and expanded roles.

UNIVERSITY OF
DAYTONFor the past seven years, we’vemaintained a strong partnership with
the University of Dayton’s Center for
Leadership. The Center is a unique andpowerful resource where 50+ partners
connect, collaborate and leverage sharedresources to design and deliver highquality business skills and leadershipdevelopment programs.
Our partnership enables us to offer
programs to associates based on theirunique development needs and also
provides growth opportunities for ourProfessionals, Supervisors, Emerging
Leaders and Executives. By participatingin these programs, our associates gain
thought-provoking leadership knowledge
that can be immediately applied to theirrole within our company.

ASSOCIATE DATA*
As of December 2022, our workforce numbered 6,094 regular associates as well as 516 temporary workers.

WORKFORCEAGE

WORKFORCELEVELS14INTRODUCTIONTOTAL WORKFORCEGENDER

WORKFORCE GENDER

SALARIED (DIRECTOR AND BELOW)WORKFORCE GENDER

LEADERSHIP (VP, SVP, AND EVP)WHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESG

66%
7%
7%
17%
3%
1%
0.1%

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

HourlyCoordinator/Clerk/Analyst/Specialist
Senior Analyst/Senior Specialist
Supervisor/Manager
Director
VP/SVP
EVP/COO/CEO
Number

GENDER DIVERSITY IN
MANAGEMENT POSITIONS

21% 30 years of age and under
47% 31 to 50 years of age
32% 51 of age and overNumber

WORKFORCE DIVERSITY(SALARIED EMPLOYEES)

24% Female
74% Male2%
Not Declared

36% Female
62% Male2%
Not Declared

WORKFORCE DIVERSITYTOTAL WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY

NumberLEADERSHIP (VP, SVP, AND EVP)

Number32%
64%
3%FemaleMale
Not Declared
NumberMINIMUM HOURLYWAGE FY2022$15/hrCULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESMinimum
Hourly WageSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

30%
20%
31%
23%
36%

Females in All Management Positions
Females in Junior Management Positions
Females in Top Management Positions
Females in Management Positions in
Revenue-Generating Functions
Females in STEM-Related Positions15
Number

12% Minority
87% White
0.3% Did not disclose
Number

7% Minority
84% White
9% Did not disclose
Number

APPENDIX*Due to rounding, some percentages may not total 100%
14
In FY2022, we created new breakdown workforce levels to illustrate a better representation of all levels and ensure all employees are included in the data
15
For FY2022, the metric includes IT, R&D, Engineering and Finance

51 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE

0.5%
1.8%
6.4%
0%
10.4%
1.4%
0.3%
52%
27%

American Indian or Alaska Native
AsianBlack or African American
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Hispanic or Latino
Two or more Races
Other
White
Not Declared
NumberAppendix

ENVIRONMENTAL DATAINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIXENVIRONMENTAL FINES & SETTLEMENTSPRODUCTION (Short Tons)

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022ISSUING AGENCYLOCATIONDATEAMOUNT OF FINEDESCRIPTION

Production Volume

6,315,431

7,390,438

5,469,520

California

March
2022

$31,616.05

WASTE (SHORT TONS)1

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Total Waste Generated

44,654.3

153,758.4

31,280.3

California
Departmentof Pesticide
Regulation

Waste to Landfill

17,700.9

5,378.2

15,389.6

Waste Diverted From Landfills

23,593.7

140,510.9

2,025.2

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation alleged
Hawthorne Hydroponics LLC sold two unregistered pesticides
into California between October 1, 2016 and November 30, 2017, in
violation of California Food and Agricultural Code section 12993.
Hawthorne admitted to selling the products into California during
the relevant time period, but did not admit that any such saleconstituted a violation. The Parties agreed to settle the case for theamount indicated.

Hazardous Waste Generated

3,359.7

3,648.8

3,481.8

0.02

0.01

June
2022

$172,000–

California Air
Resources Board

California

Waste Intensity (per Production Ton)
WATER USE (Megaliters)2

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Purchased Water

234.7

606.9

618.6

Well Water

837.1

2,591.1

938.7

The California Air Resources Board alleged Hawthorne Hydroponics
LLC violated the California Consumer Products Regulations (Cal.
Code Regs., tit.17,§ 94512(a)), by selling a product that unintentionally
exceeded the applicable Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) limit
and failing to display the date of manufacture. The Parties agreed
to the stated penalty, a portion of which was paid to the Asthma
Impact Model - Kern County Phase 2 project.

Total Water Withdrawals

1,071.8

3,198.0

1,557.3

Water Withdrawal Intensity (Megaliters per Production Ton)

0.000170.000430.00028

Treated Wastewater Discharged

2.7

4

7.3

3.6

Water Recycled and Reused5

25.8

16.6

8.0

GHG EMISSIONS (MT CO2e)

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Scope 1 (CO2e)

63,04857,481

82,778

Scope 2, Location-Based (CO2e)47,89555,01860,813Emissions Intensity (MT CO2e per Production Ton)

0.02

0.02

0.03

ENERGY (GJ)

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

3

Total Energy Use

1,435,015

1,465,221

1,895,467

Energy Intensity (GJ per Production Ton)

0.23

0.20

0.35

AIR EMISSIONS (kg)6

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022NOX

11,412.3

13,798.3

12,503.4

SOX

72.6

81.6

75.2

Particulate Matter (PM)20,130.3

21,944.8

16,438.2

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)–

2,068.4

1,909.72

In FY2020, 95% of sites reported waste data. FY2021 data includes greater than 95% of all sites reporting some type of waste data. In
FY2022, 91.9% of sites reported waste data.
2
Organization-wide including corporate offices. In FY22, 56.76% of sites reported purchased water data and 25.68% of sites using well
water reported data. In FY21, 52.7% of sites reported purchased water data and 17.6% of sites using well water reported data. This
represents 60.8% of sites reporting water data in FY21. In FY20, 50% of sites reported purchased water data and 46.6% of sites using well
water reported data. This represents 72.4% of sites reporting water data in FY20.
3
FY2020 and FY2021 includes data from the Marysville plant. FY2022 includes Ft. Madison, Santa Rosa, and Marysville plants.
4
In our 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report, which addressed FY21 updates, we erroneously reported FY2021 Wastewater as 243.2
megaliters instead of 7.31 megaliters. Due to a calculating error, we identified that sanitary wastewater metrics were mistakenly
included, thus overreporting this number significantly. We have corrected this and have restated the amount in this year’s Corporate
Responsibility Report.
5
FY2020 includes data from Marysville, Jackson and Ft. Madison plants. FY2021 and FY2022 includes data from the Marysville and Ft.
Madison plants.
6
Air emissions are collected and reported on a calendar year basis. ScottsMiracle-Gro is sharing the air emissions from our Marysville,
Ohio, Title V facility. The total air emissions disclosed in this report do not rise to the level of reportability for the U.S. EPA, but represent
our company’s tracking and estimation of this data.
1

53 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIXPRODUCT RECALLS OR WITHDRAWALS
PRODUCT NAMEREASON FOR RECALL OR WITHDRAWALDATENUMBER OF UNITS RECALLED OR WITHDRAWN

There were no product recalls in FY22

ABOUT OUR DATA
The data in this report represents our most recent efforts at collecting our ESG data for our FY2022. As
we evolve our sustainability programs, our goal is to continue improving our data collection practices. In
this report, we include data from the operations of our North American consumer products businesses,
including the Hawthorne Gardening Company and AeroGarden.
We use widely accepted sustainability reporting standards to collect and analyze our environmental data.
Primarily, we follow the recommendations of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability
Accounting Standards Board (SASB) in preparing this report. We follow the guidance of the GHG Protocol
in preparing our Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions calculations.
In FY2020, we fully integrated Hawthorne into our operations and supply chain data collection
processes. This report includes Hawthorne and AeroGarden data, in addition to our North America
consumer business, unless otherwise noted. We use intensity metrics to demonstrate performance withconsideration for production volume, which allows for a more complete view of our Water, Energy andEmissions data despite any changes in our operations on a year-by-year basis.
While we have made every effort to collect data from all of our sites, in some cases, we were not able
to obtain data for our FY2022. Where relevant, we note the percentage of site participation alongsidedata throughout the report. We continue to improve the quality and breadth of our environmental datacollection, including the systems and processes for recording and analyzing this data.

SOCIAL DATAINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIXHEALTH AND SAFETY

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022PEOPLE*FY2020

Number of Lost Time Incidents

52

80

37

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Total Number of Recordable Injuries

114

182

115

WORKFORCE GENDER:SALARIED EMPLOYEES

Total Number of Injuries

430

547

553

Female

639

34%

886

38%

751

36%

Total Number of Fatalities

0

0

0

Male

1,255

66%

1,450

61%

1,284

62%

Fatality Rate: Direct Employees

0%

0%

0%

Not Declared

2

0%

26

1%

43

2%

Fatality Rate: Contract Employees

0%

0%

0%

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Total Incident Rate

1.7

2.28

1.53

WORKFORCE GENDER:SALARIED, DIRECTOR AND BELOW

Total Lost Time Rate

0.8

1

0.49

Female

623

34%

865

38%

732

36%

Male

1,202

66%

1,392

61%

1,246

62%

PEOPLE*FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Not Declared

2

0%

25

1%

41

2%

Total Regular Associates

5,925

7,245

6,094

LEADERSHIP GENDER(VP, SVP, AND EVP)

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

WORKFORCE LEVELS7

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Female

16

23%

21

26%

19

32%

Hourly

4,029

68%

4,883

67%

4,016

66%

Male

53

77%

56

72%

38

64%

Coordinator/Clerk/Analyst/Specialist

-

-

-

-

452

7%

Not Declared

0

0%

1

1%

2

3%

Senior Analyst/Senior Specialist

-

-

-

-

397

7%

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Supervisor/Manager

-

-

-

-

1,017

17%

WORKFORCE DIVERSITY:SALARIED EMPLOYEES

Director

-

-

-

-

153

3%

Minority

148

8%

213

9%

198

12%

VP/SVP

-

-

-

-

53

1%

White

1,370

72%

1,645

70%

1,412

87%

Not Declared

378

20%

491

21%

5

0.3%

EVP/COO/CEO

-

-

-

-

6

0.09%
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY:
LEADERSHIP (VP, SVP AND EVP)

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Minority

4

6%

5

6%

4

7%

White

59

86%

62

79%

48

84%

Not Declared

6

9%

11

14%

5

9%

HEADCOUNTPEOPLE*FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

WORKFORCE AGE

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

30 Years of Age and Under

1,337

23%

1,809

25%

1,307

21%

31-50 Years of Age

2,734

46%

3,345

46%

2,854

47%

51 Years of Age and Over

1,854

31%

2,091

29%

1,933

32%

TOTAL WORKFORCE GENDER

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Female

1,398

24%

1,839

25%

1,451

24%

Male

4,522

76%

5,340

74%

4,517

74%

Not Declared

5

0%

66

1%

126

2%

*Due to rounding, some percentages may not total 100%.
7
In FY2022, we created new breakdown workforce levels to illustrate a better representation of all levels and ensure all employees are includedin the data

54 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIX

FY2021

FY2022

SOCIAL DATA CONTINUEDINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGPEOPLE*FY2020

FY2021GENDER DIVERSITY IN
MANAGEMENT POSITIONS

NumberFemales in All Management
Positions

-

-

-

30%

-

30%

Females in Junior Management
Positions

-

-

-

22%

-

20%

Percent

NumberCULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

Number

Percent

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

HOURLY EMPLOYEES BY REGION

NumberNumberNumberCanada

-

-

462

China

-

-

0

Netherlands

-

-

0

United Kingdom

-

-

0

-

-

3,554

-

-

-

20%

-

31%

United States of America

Females in Management Positions
in Revenue-Generating Functions

-

-

-

15%

-

23%

SALARIED EMPLOYEES BY REGION

NumberNumberNumberFemales in STEM-related Positions8

-

-

-

27%

-

36%

Canada

-

-

171

China

-

-

35

TOTAL WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Netherlands

-

-

65

Minority (Total)

850

14%

1,501

21%

1,266

21%

United Kingdom

-

-

2

United States of America

-

-

1,805

VP AND ABOVE EMPLOYEES BYREGION

NumberNumberNumberCanada

-

-

1

China

-

-

0

Netherlands

-

-

1

United Kingdom

-

-

0

United States of America

-

-

57

TOTAL EMPLOYEES BY REGION

NumberNumberNumberCanada

-

-

633

China

-

-

35

Netherlands

-

-

65

United Kingdom

-

-

2

United States of America

-

-

5,359

9

0.6%

0.5%

Asian

-

-

-

2.4%

-

1.8%

Black or African American

-

-

-

6.3%

-

6.4%

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

Percent

REGIONAL PEOPLE DATA

Females in Top Management
Positions

American Indian or Alaska
Native10

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTSFY2022

0.7%110%

Hispanic or Latino

-

-

-

9.1%

-

10.4%

Two or more Races12

-

-

-

1.7%

-

1.4%

Other13

-

-

-

-

-

0.3%

White

3,144

53%

3,642

50%

3,178

52%

Not Declared14

1,931

33%

2,101

29%

1,650

27%

* Due to rounding, some percentages may not total 100%.
8
Prior to FY2022, this metric only included IT and Research and Development. For FY2022, the metric includes IT, R&D,
Engineering and Finance.
9
This includes American Indian or Native Alaskan, Asian, Black or African American, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or
Latino, and Two or more Races.
10
Prior to FY2022, this metric was called ‘Indigenous or Native’.
11
Prior to FY2022, this metric was included in the ‘Other’ calculation.
12
Prior to FY2022, this metric was included in the ‘Other’ calculation.
13
In the 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report, the ‘Other’ calculation included ‘Not Declared’, ‘Hawaiian or Pacific Islander’,and ‘Two or more Races’. In this year’s Corporate Responsibility report we have replaced the 31.4% ‘Other’ calculation withadditional ethnicity workforce levels to illustrate a better representation of our workforce diversity.
14
Prior to FY2022, this metric was included in the ‘Other’ calculation.

APPENDIX

55 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIXSOCIAL DATA CONTINUEDINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESGHUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENTFY2020

FY2021

FY2022TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Hours

Hours

Hours

Average Hours per FTE of Training
and Development

-

65.72

79.25

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESFY2020EMPLOYEE TURNOVERS

NumberRate

NumberRate

NumberRate

Total New Employee Turnovers

-

-

2,762

20.68%

3,600

26.70%--

640

19.47%

930

27.73%FY2021

FY2022Average Hours per Female FTE of
Training and Development

-

69.47

89.1

Total New Employee Turnovers –FemaleAverage Hours per Male FTE of
Training and Development

-

64.47

76.06

Total New Employee Turnovers –
Male

-

-

2,104

21.03%

2,538

25.36%

Percent

Total New Employee Turnovers –Under 30

-

-

1,242

38.55%

1,339

41.38%-

Total New Employee Turnovers –
30-50

-

-

945

15.42%

1,392

22.16%

Total New Employee Turnovers – Over
50

-

-

575

14.23%

869

21.32%

Total New Employee turnovers – U.S

-

-

2,462

20.97%

3,215

26.77%

Total New Employee Turnovers –Canada--277

19.83%

351

25.19%

Voluntary Employee Turnover Rate

-

-

-

12.20%-

12.85%

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
AGREEMENTS

Percent

Employees covered by Collective
Bargaining Agreements-

Percent
4%

MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE
$15/HOURINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSTALENT ATTRACTION &RETENTION$15/HOUR$15/HOURTALENT ATTRACTION &RETENTION

FY2020EMPLOYEE HIRES

NumberRate

NumberRate

NumberTotal New Employee Hires

-

-

4,076

-

2,460

Total New Employee Hires – Female

-

-

1,078

-

544

Total New Employee Hires – Male

-

-

2,921

-

1,721

Total New Employee Hires – Under
30

-

-

1,891

-

1,023

Total New Employee Hires – 30-50

-

-

1,528

-

862

Total New Employee Hires – Over 50

-

-

657

-

575

Total New Employee Hires – U.S

-

-

3,707

-

2,138

Total New Employee Hires – Canada

-

-

335

-

290

Percentage of Open Positions Filled
by Internal Candidates (Internal
Hires)---

18.72%SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

56 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIX

FY2021

FY2022Rate

26.06%GRI CONTENT INDEXGRI STANDARD/OTHER SOURCEINTRODUCTIONDISCLOSUREDISCLOSURE

THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS REPORTING PRACTICESGOVERNANCE

2-1 Organizational Details

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
Publicly traded company
14111 Scottslawn Road, Marysville, OH 43041
United States, Canada, the Netherlands and China

2-2 Entities included in the organization’ssustainability reporting

2022 Form 10-K, p. 2-8, 32-33, 69

2-3 Reporting period, frequency, andcontact point

Sustainability Reporting Period: October 1, 2022 September 30, 2023; Annual reporting cycle
Financial Reporting Period: October 1, 2022 September 30, 2023
Sustainability Report Publication Date: June 21, 2023
Katherine Dickens - Director, ESG & Social Impact(sustainability@scotts.com)

OUR APPROACH
TO ESG

2-4 Restatements of information

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTS
2-5 External Assurance

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLEGRI STANDARD/OTHER SOURCEGRI 2: General Disclosures 2021

WHO
WE ARECULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESLOCATION OR DIRECT RESPONSE

GRI 2: General Disclosures 2021
GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

Statement of Use: ScottsMiracle-Gro has reported with reference to the
GRI Standards for the period October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023.

GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > ESG Focus
Areas and Goals, p. 17 and p. 172023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Water, p. 30
2023 CR Report, Appendix > Social Data > Total
Workforce Diversity, p. 55
The company is not seeking assurance for this year’s
sustainability report.

ACTIVITIES AND WORKERSGRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

2-6 Activities, value chain, and otherbusiness relationships

Retail, Cannabis, Consumer Goods, Chemical
2023 CR Report, Who We Are > About ScottsMiracleGro, p. 62022 Form 10-K, p. 2-8

2-7 Employees

2023 CR Report, Appendix > Social Data, p. 54

2-9 Governance structure and composition

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > Governance,
Stakeholder Engagement, p. 102023 Form DEF14A, p. 3-17

2-10 Nomination and selection of thehighest governance body2023 Form DEF14A, p. 3-18

2-11 Chair of the highest governance body2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > Governance,
Stakeholder Engagement, p. 102023 Form DEF14A, p. 3-6, 8

2-12 Role of the highest governance bodyin overseeing the management of impacts

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > Governance,
Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10; Nominating andGovernance Committee Charter; Innovation andTechnology Committee Charter2-13 Delegation of Responsibility for
managing impacts

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > Governance,
Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10
Nominating and Governance Committee Charter;
Innovation and Technology Committee Charter

GOVERNANCE
GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

APPENDIX

57 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIXLOCATION OR DIRECT RESPONSE

2-14 Role of the highest governance body insustainability reporting

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10
Nominating and Governance Committee
Charter;Innovation and Technology Committee Charter

2-15 Conflicts of interest

2022 Form 10-K, p. 9-21
2023 Form DEF14A, p. 3-13
Code of Business Conduct & Ethics, p. 15

2-16 Communication of critical concerns

2023 Form DEF14A p. 18

2-17 Collective knowledge of the highest
governance body2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10

2-18 Evaluation of the performance of thehighest governance body2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10
Nominating and Governance Committee
Charter;Innovation and Technology Committee Charter

2-19 Remuneration policies

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 102023 Form DEF14A, p. 18-39

2-20 Process to determine remuneration

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 102023 Form DEF14A, p. 18-39
Form 8-K

2-21 Annual total compensation ratio

2023 Form DEF14A, p. 49

STRATEGY, POLICIES AND PRACTICESGRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

2-22 Statement on sustainable development
strategy2023 CR Report, CEO Letter > Letter from
Leadership, p. 4

2-23 Policy Commitments

Our Position on Human Rights
Code of Business Conduct & Ethics

2-24 Embedding policy commitments

Our Position on Human Rights
Code of Business Conduct & Ethics
2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Compliance, p. 10

2-26 Mechanisms for seeking advice and raisingconcerns

Our Position on Human Rights
Code of Business Conduct & Ethics

2-27 Compliance with laws and regulations

2022 Form 10-K p. 6, 22, 46, 105

2-28 Membership associations

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTGRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

2-29 Approach to stakeholder engagement

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10

2-30 Collective bargaining agreements

2023 CR Report, Appendix > Social Data, p. 54

GRI CONTENT INDEX CONTINUEDGRI STANDARD/OTHER SOURCEINTRODUCTION

LOCATION OR DIRECT RESPONSE

Material Topics
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

WHO
WE AREDISCLOSUREGRI STANDARD/OTHER SOURCE

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > Materiality
and Goals, p. 12

3-2 List of material topics

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > Materiality
and Goals, p. 12

GRI 204:
Procurement
Practices 2016

204-1 Proportion of spending on local suppliers

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Suppliers, p. 33

308-1 New suppliers that were screened using
environmental criteria

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Suppliers, p. 33

2023 CR Report, Innovative Products, p. 18

GRI 308: Supplier
Environmental
Assessment
2016308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the
supply chain and actions taken

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > ESG Focus
Areas and Goals, p. 152023 CR Report, Innovative Products > Research andDevelopment, p. 19
2023 CR Report, Innovative Products, p. 182023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Suppliers, p. 33
2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance > Supplier Code of Conduct, p. 8

GRI 414: SupplierSocial Assessment
2016414-1 New suppliers that were screened usingsocial criteria

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Suppliers, p. 33

414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply
chain and actions taken

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Suppliers, p. 33
2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance > Supplier Code of Conduct, p. 8

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32

Emissions305-1 Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53
Appendix > About Our Data, p. 53

305-2 Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53
Appendix > About Our Data, p. 53

305-4 GHG emissions intensity

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53
Appendix > About Our Data, p. 53

305-7 Nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX),
and other significant air emissions

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53
Appendix > About Our Data, p. 53

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32

GRI 302: Energy
2016302-1 Energy consumption within theorganization

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53
2022 CDP Response, C8.2a, p.23

302-3 Energy intensity

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

302-4 Reduction of energy consumption

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Energy
and Emissions, p. 32

3-3 Management of material topics

OUR APPROACH
TO ESGSUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENTPRODUCT SAFETY AND PERFORMANCEINNOVATIVEPRODUCTS

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Innovative Products, p. 182023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > ESG Focus
Areas and Goals, p. 152023 CR Report, Innovative Products, p. 18

CONSUMER SAFETY

OPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESGRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Innovative Products, p. 18
Appendix, p. 52

GRI 416: Customer
Health and Safety2016416-1 Assessment of the health and safety
impacts of product and service categories

2023 CR Report, Innovative Products, p. 18
Appendix, p. 52

416-2 Incidents of non-complianceconcerning the health and safety impacts
of products and services

2023 CR Report > Appendix, p. 52

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Innovative Products, p. 18
Operating Sustainably > Waste, p. 29

GRI 301: Materials
2016

301-1 Materials used by weight or volume2023 CR Report, Appendix > Environmental Data, p.
53

301-2 Recycled input materials used

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > ESG Focus
Areas and Goals, p. 15
Innovative Products > Packaging, p. 23

Strategic Focus Area: Operations and Supply Chain
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENTAPPENDIXEMISSIONSPACKAGINGSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

LOCATION OR DIRECT RESPONSE

3-1 Process to determine material topics

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIPGRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

DISCLOSURE

Strategic Focus Area: Operations and Supply Chain

Strategic Focus Area: Product Stewardship & Safety
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

Statement of Use: ScottsMiracle-Gro has reported with reference to the
GRI Standards for the period October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023.

3-3 Management of material topics

58 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIX

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > Governance> Supplier Code of Conduct, p. 8
Our Approach to ESG > Materiality and Goals >Materiality Assessment, p. 13
Our Approach to ESG > ESG Focus Areas and Goals,
p. 15
Operating Sustainably > Suppliers, p. 33

ENERGYGRI CONTENT INDEX CONTINUEDGRI STANDARD/OTHER SOURCEINTRODUCTIONWHO
WE AREDISCLOSURE

CLIMATE CHANGE

DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITYGRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2022 CDP Response

GRI 201: Economic
Performance 2016201-2 Financial implications and other risks
and opportunities due to climate change

2022 CDP Response, Section 2

EFFLUENTS AND WASTE

GRI 303: Water
and Effluents
2018

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

APPENDIXDISCLOSURE

Strategic Focus Area: Associate Engagement and Wellness

3-3 Management of material topics

OUR APPROACH
TO ESGSUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLEGRI STANDARD/OTHER SOURCE

Strategic Focus Area: Operations and Supply Chain

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESLOCATION OR DIRECT RESPONSE

Statement of Use: ScottsMiracle-Gro has reported with reference to the
GRI Standards for the period October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023.

GRI 306: Effluentsand Waste 2016

303-1 Interactions with water as a sharedresource

LOCATION OR DIRECT RESPONSE

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2022 Form 10-K, p.7
2023 CR Report, Supporting Our People >Diversity and Human Rights, p. 45

GRI 405: Diversity
and Equal
Opportunity 2016405-1 Diversity of governance bodies andemployees2023 CR Report, Supporting Our People >Diversity and Human Rights, p. 45
Supporting Our People > Associate Data, p. 51
Appendix > Social Data, p. 54;
2023 Form DEF14A, p. 4-13

2023 CR Report, Innovative Products >Packaging, p. 23
Operating Sustainably > Waste, p. 29
Operating Sustainably > Water, p. 30
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

TALENT ATTRACTION AND RETENTION
3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Water,
p. 30
Our Approach to ESG > Stakeholder
Engagement > Water Stewardship, p. 11

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021
GRI 401:
Employment 2016

401-1 New employee hires and employee turnover 2023 CR Report, Appendix > Social Data, p. 54
401-2 Benefits provided to full time employeesthat are not provided to temporary or part-time
employees2023 CR Report, Supporting Our People >Associate Benefits and LiveTotal Health, p. 48

GRI 403:
Occupational
Health and Safety2018403-1 Occupational health and safety
management system

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Health and Safety, p. 27

303-2 Management of water dischargerelated impacts

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Water,
p. 30

303-3 Water withdrawal

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Water,
p. 30
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

2022 Form 10-K, p. 6-7
2023 CR Report, Supporting Our People, p. 43

403-2 Hazard identification, risk assessment, and 2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >incident investigation
Health and Safety, p. 27

303-4 Water discharge

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Water,
p. 30
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

403-4 Worker participation, consultation, andcommunication on occupational health andsafety2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Health and Safety, p. 27

303-5 Water consumption

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Water,
p. 30
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

403-5 Worker training on occupational healthand safety2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Health and Safety, p. 27

403-6 Promotion of worker health306-1 Waste generation and significant
waste related impacts

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Waste,p. 29
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Health and Safety, p. 27
Supporting Our People > Associate Benefits
and LiveTotal Health, p. 48

306-2 Management of significant wasterelated impacts

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Waste,
p. 29

403-8 Workers covered by an occupational
health and safety management system

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Health and Safety, p. 27

306-3 Waste generated

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Waste,p. 29
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

403-9 Work-related injuries

306-4 Waste diverted to disposal

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Waste,p. 29
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably >Health and Safety, p. 27
Supporting Our People > Associate Benefits
and LiveTotal Health, p. 48

404-1 Average hours of training per year per
employee2023 CR Report, Supporting Our People >Investing in Development, p. 49
Appendix > Social Data, p. 54

306-5 Waste directed to disposal

2023 CR Report, Operating Sustainably > Waste,p. 29
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

404-2 Programs for upgrading employee skills
and transition assistance programs2023 CR Report, Supporting Our People >Investing in Development, p. 49

404-3 Percentage of new employees receiving
regular performance and career development
reviews2023 CR Report, Supporting Our People >Investing in Development, p. 49

59 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIXGRI 404: Training
and Education 2016

GRI CONTENT INDEX CONTINUEDGRI STANDARD/OTHER SOURCEINTRODUCTIONDISCLOSURE

UN SDG ALIGNMENT
In 2022, we engaged a set of internal stakeholders to map our company’ssustainability efforts to the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (UN SDGs). Throughout this report, we have added SDG icons to thesections where our SDGs align with our current actions. We look forward to
identifying ways to further align with the UN SDGs in the future.

LOCATION OR DIRECT RESPONSE

Strategic Focus Area: Community Engagement
LOCAL COMMUNITIESWHOWE AREGRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Cultivating Strong
Communities, p. 35

GRI 413: Local
Communities
2016413-1 Operations with local community
engagement, impact assessments, anddevelopment programs2023 CR Report, Cultivating Strong
Communities, p. 35

SDG

GOAL

SMG’S CURRENT ALIGNMENT

3

Ensure healthy
lives andpromote wellbeing for all at
all ages•

Promotes mental and physical health and wellbeingof associates through the LiveTotal Health program•

Promotes mental and physical health and wellbeingof community members by encouraging healthierlifestyles, creating community gardens, greenspaces
and beautification projects, and supporting
Pelotonia and the American Heart Association

Ensureavailability andsustainable
managementof water andsanitation for all•

Engages in water stewardship, quality, quantity,
conservation and protection efforts, supported by
the National Partner Network•

Promotes scientific innovation to help protect vitalwaterways and advocate for all Americans’ right tosafe and accessible water•

Reduces and mitigates wastewater impacts, finds
new ways to beneficially reuse wastewater

Promotesustained,
inclusive andsustainableeconomic
growth, fulland productive
employment
and decent
work for all•

Promotes safe and secure working environments
for all workers through occupational health andsafety efforts outlined in the Health & Safety sectionof this report, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics,
Supplier Code of Conduct and Human Rights
Statement•

Invests in associate growth and development, talentacquisition and innovation through R&D

Reduceinequality
within andamongcountries•

Invests in fighting for reform to address complex
racial, societal and economic inequalities tied
to cannabis to create a more just and equitableindustry•

Engages in public policy efforts through political andlobbying contributions that promote a more just andequitable society

Ensuresustainableconsumption
and production
patterns•

Explores new and more sustainable ways to deliverproducts to customers through design optimizationand improved packaging•

Explores sustainable sourcing and recycling options
to reduce plastic used in packaging, increase
consumer brand packaging that can be recycled
or reused, and increase recycled content in plastic
packaging

Strategic Focus Area: Governance and Transparency
TRUST AND REPUTATIONOUR APPROACH
TO ESGGRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG, p. 7
Supporting Our People > Our Culture, p. 44

GRI 201: Economic
Performance 2016

201-1 Direct economic value generated anddistributed

2022 Form 10-K, p. 29-50

201-3 Defined benefit plan obligations andother retirement plans

2022 Form 10-K, p. 7, 19, 82-88

201-4 Financial assistance received fromgovernment

2022 Form 10-K, p. 29-50, 95-99

INNOVATIVEPRODUCTSRESPONSIBLE CANNABISOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

CULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIES

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10
Innovative Products > Consumer Education,
p. 24
Innovative Products > Formulation, p. 22
Cultivating Strong Communities >Philanthropic Commitments, p. 36
Goals and progress towards goals:
2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG > ESG
Focus Areas and Goals, p. 15
Discussion: 2023 CR Report, Our Approach to
ESG > Governance, Stakeholder Engagement,p. 10
Innovative Products > Consumer Education,
p. 24
Cultivating Strong Communities >Philanthropic Commitments, p. 36

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE
PUBLIC POLICYAPPENDIXGRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10

GRI 415: Public
Policy 2016415-1 Political Contributions

2023 CR Report, Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10
Statement of Use: ScottsMiracle-Gro has reported with reference to the
GRI Standards for the period October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023.

60 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIX

6

8

10

12

LOCATION
2023 CR Report,
Cultivating Strong
Communities > Other
Community Investments
and Initiatives, p. 422023 CR Report, Operating
Sustainably > Water, p. 30

2023 CR Report, Our
Approach to ESG, p. 7
Operating Sustainably >Health & Safety, p. 27
Supporting Our People> Talent Acquisition,
Investing in Development,
p. 49
2023 CR Report,
Cultivating Strong
Communities >Hawthorne Social Justice
Fund, p. 40

2023 CR Report, Operating
Sustainably > Packaging,p. 23
Operating Sustainably >Waste, p. 29

SASB INDEXSASB STANDARDTOPICINTRODUCTIONCODE

ACCOUNTING METRICUNIT OFMEASURE

PAGE NUMBER(S), URL(S)Table 1. Sustainability Disclosure Topics & Accounting Metrics

WHO
WE AREOUR APPROACH
TO ESG

Gross global Scope 1
emissions

Metric tons (t)CO2-e,

Operating Sustainably > Energy andEmissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

RT-CH120a.1

Air emissions of thefollowing pollutants: (1)NOX (excluding N2O), (2)SOX

Metric tons (t)Operating Sustainably > Energy andEmissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53(1) Total energy
consumed

Gigajoules (GJ),

Operating Sustainably > Energy andEmissions, p. 32
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Energy Management

RT-CH130a.1

WATER MANAGEMENTINNOVATIVEPRODUCTSOPERATINGSUSTAINABLY

Water Management

RT-CH140a.1(1) Total water withdrawn

Thousand cubic
meters (m3)Operating Sustainably > Water, p. 30
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

RT-CH140a.3

Description of water
management risks anddiscussion of strategies
and practices to mitigate
those risks

N/A

Operating Sustainably > Water, p. 30

RT-CH150a.1

Amount of hazardous
waste generated

Metric tons (t)Operating Sustainably > Waste, p. 29
Appendix > Environmental Data, p. 53

Discussion ofengagement processes
to manage risks andopportunities associatedwith community
interests

N/A

Our Approach to ESG > Governance,
Stakeholder Engagement, p. 10
Cultivating Strong Communities, p. 35

COMMUNITY RELATIONSCULTIVATINGSTRONGCOMMUNITIESCommunity Relations

RT-CH210a.1

SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE

APPENDIX

61 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT | APPENDIX

Workforce Health and
SafetyUNIT OFMEASURE

PAGE NUMBER(S),URL(S)

RT-CH320a.1(1) Total recordable incident rate
Rate
(TRIR) and (2) fatality rate for (a)direct employees and (b) contract
employees

Operating Sustainably >Health and Safety, p. 27
Appendix > Social Data, p.
54;

SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP OF CHEMICALS
Safety &Environmental
Stewardship ofChemicals

RT-CH410b.2

Discussion of strategy to (1)manage chemicals of concern
and (2) develop alternatives
with reduced human and/or
environmental impact

N/A

Innovative Products, p. 18

MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGAL & REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTManagement of theLegal & Regulatory
Environment

RT-CH530a.1

Discussion of corporate
positions related togovernment regulations and/or policy proposals that addressenvironmental and social factors
affecting the industry

N/A

Our Approach to ESG >Governance, Stakeholder
Engagement, p. 10
Innovative Products >Regulatory Oversight p. 22

RT-CH000.A

Production

Cubic meters(m3) and/or
metric tons (t)Appendix > Environmental
Data, p. 53

ACTIVITY METRIC
Production byreportable segment

HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
Hazardous Waste
Management

ACCOUNTING METRICWORKFORCE HEALTH AND SAFETY

RT-CH110a.1

AIR QUALITY
Air Quality

CODE

Table 1. Sustainability Disclosure Topics & Accounting Metrics

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS					Greenhouse Gas
Emissions

SASB STANDARD
TOPIC

@scottsmiraclegro@Scotts_Mgro@scottsmiraclegrocompany@scottsmiraclegro

14111 Scottslawn Road
Marysville, OH 43041
scottsmiraclegro.com
sustainability@scotts.com
NYSE: SMG