Scotts Reiterates its Commitment to Environmental Stewardship During National Conference on Lawns & the Environment
SAN ANTONIO, Mar 19, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Helping consumers create a beautiful lawn and garden must be done in a way that also supports the overall needs of the environment, a commitment reinforced this week by The Scotts Company during a national conference on the responsible use of lawn and garden products.
The Company said today that it will continue to build on its past and present environmentally friendly gardening initiatives. In addition to carrying out ongoing evaluation of its ingredients, Scotts is stepping up its efforts to promote the use of more environmentally friendly ready-to-use products and working to expand the use of organic and natural alternatives.
"We remain deeply committed to encourage consumers not to overuse or misapply our products and to use them responsibly," said Jim Hagedorn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Scotts. "We are equally committed to making sure that our products not only meet consumer needs but are also environmentally friendly. As part of our effort, we welcome a dialogue with public interest groups, members of academia and others in our industry about how we can continue to improve. Our goal is not only to be a successful Company, but to maintain our position as the industry leader in setting the standard for environmental stewardship and corporate citizenship."
Michael P. Kelty, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman of Scotts, discussed Scotts' environmental stewardship efforts during a keynote address at this week's Lawns and the Environment Conference, part of an initiative comprised of federal and state regulatory agencies, academia, public interest groups and lawn and garden businesses. Dr. Kelty said the Company's commitment to environmental stewardship is evident in three ways: 1) the Company's communications with consumers; 2) continued efforts to improve packaging and application devices; and, 3) the Company's ongoing efforts to refine its product line with a commitment to maintaining efficacy while using environmentally friendly ingredients.
By communicating responsible use messages to consumers, Scotts will remind consumers of their essential role in protecting the environment.
Recently, Scotts received the 2004 Environmental Technologies Award for the environmental benefits of its Roundup(R) FastAct(R)(TM) Foam trigger- sprayer. The sprayer helps consumers see where product has been sprayed, reducing the likelihood of over-application. Dr. Kelty said the Company's commitment to stewardship also was evident by recent changes to the way its lawn fertilizer products are packaged, palletized and shipped. These improvements have resulted in a 75 percent reduction in the number of torn packages. The Company is continuing to work with its retail partners to further reduce the number of torn packages found in stores
Scotts also continues to be one of the nation's leading recyclers, using more than 2 million tons of recycled organic ingredients in its growing media products.
"We are proud of our heritage of environmental stewardship and look forward to working with agencies and public interest groups to continue to lead the way in this area," Dr. Kelty said. "We have a genuine interest in working with organizations that can help us improve even further, because Scotts recognizes that it is the job of all of us to focus on sustainability and environmental protection."
Dedicated to a Beautiful World
The Scotts Company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with a full range of products for professional horticulture as well. The Company owns the industry's most recognized brands. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts(R), Miracle-Gro(R) and Ortho(R) brands are market leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup(R) brand which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In Europe, Scotts' brands include Weedol(R), Pathclear(R), Evergreen(R), Levington(R), Miracle-Gro(R), KB(R), Fertiligene(R) and Substral(R).
Roundup(R) and FastAct(R) are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technologies LLC.
SOURCE The Scotts Company
Jim King, Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications of The Scotts Company, +1-937-578-5622 http://www.scotts.com