GlobeNewswire Inc | Apr 27, 2021 08:00AM EDT

April 27, 2021

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, April 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG), one of the worlds leading marketers of branded consumer lawn and garden as well as hydroponic and indoor growing products, announced its new environmental, social and governance (ESG)-driven business goals that will guide the companys sustainability strategy over the next five years. The goals, which were revealed with the release of ScottsMiracle-Gros 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report, outline how the company will deliver on its corporate purposeto GroMoreGood everywherefor associates, communities, consumers and the environment throughout 2021 and beyond.

ScottsMiracle-Gro has intensified its actions to align business practices over the past decade in ways that are good for the planet, people and communities. During 20192020, the company underwent a formal materiality assessment, following the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), to prioritize its most important ESG opportunities and risks and to further align its sustainability goals and commitments with stakeholder priorities. Based on that assessment, five key areas of focus were identified to drive ScottsMiracle-Gros sustainability strategy over the next five years:

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

In 2020, ScottsMiracle-Gro focused heavily on establishing sustainability benchmarks, creating implementation and monitoring plans, and continuous improvement around these five focus areas. The 20212025 ESG goals that emerged as part of these efforts can be found at www.scottsmiraclegro.com/environmental-social-and-governance/.

Across our business, we are focused on our purpose, to GroMoreGood, for every person and every patch of the Earth, said Jim Hagedorn, Chairman and CEO, ScottsMiracle-Gro. To us, thats what sustainability is all about and thats what our company has always been about. We have committed ourselves longterm to our ESG priorities and to transparent reporting that enables our stakeholders to judge our values and sustainability for themselves.

Some highlights from ScottsMiracle-Gros recently announced ESG goals featured in their 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report include:

Community Engagement

-- Connecting 10 million children to the benefits of gardens and greenspaces -- Reaching 145 million Americans through environmental partnerships -- Investing $2.5 million in criminal justice reform and economic inclusion initiatives within the cannabis space

Product Stewardship and Safety

-- Tripling the amount of recycled content in plastic packaging -- Increasing consumer brand packaging that can be recycled or reused by 50%

Operations and Supply Chain

-- Utilizing established data collection process for emissions and waste in 100% of locations to establish baseline metrics and future improvement goals -- Demonstrating improvement on identified GroMoreGood Goals among 75% of suppliers

Associate Engagement and Wellness

-- Applying diagnostic data to identify strengths and areas of opportunity in the companys mission to ensure all associates are treated in a fair and equitable manner -- Continuing to provide holistic health and wellness programs to help people through their best and most challenging times, with the goal of enhancing their health, happiness and longevity

In the coming years, ScottsMiracle-Gro will continue reporting on its progress and continuous improvement related to its ESG priority areas of focus. Read the companys full 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report here www.scottsmiraclegro.com/environmental-social-and-governance/.

Learn more about the companys purpose to GroMoreGood everywhere: www.scottsmiraclegro.com/responsibility/.

About ScottsMiracle-GroThe Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is passionate about helping people of all ages express themselves on their own piece of the Earth. With approximately $4 billion in sales, the Company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. To learn more about the Company and our initiatives, visit us at www.scottsmiraclegro.com.

Contact: Molly JenningsThe Scotts Miracle-Gro CompanyMolly.Jennings@Scotts.com 937-578-1352