RACINE, Wis., November 2, 2009 – Companies earn consumer trust when they share how they impact the environment around them¹. As a leader in environmental responsibility, SC Johnson is pleased to release its 2009 Public Report today. The company continues to move forward in its quest to do the right thing and to earn the trust of its consumers by openly sharing information. The report highlights the company’s commitment to and progress against its sustainability objectives. This report marks the privately-held company’s 18th year of publicly sharing information. 

“This progress reflects SC Johnson’s firm commitment to investing in a sustainable future,” said Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson. “While we celebrate our progress against our goals, we know there is much more to do. We must move faster in finding new sustainable approaches that will head off a global resource crunch. It is not just the responsibility of businesses, it is the responsibility of everyone to find ways to restore and sustain our resources. I’m hopeful our progress will help other companies and people make responsible changes.”

Celebrating Doing What’s Right

SC Johnson has a wide variety of efforts to drive global development and growth that benefit the people around us and the planet we all share. From exceptional philanthropy, volunteerism and education to new business models that bring economic growth to the world's poorest communities, the company is helping to create stronger communities for families around the globe. Highlights of the report include:

• The company continued to lead the industry by increasing its transparency and further demonstrating our commitment to doing what’s right with the voluntary launch of an innovative ingredient disclosure initiative which openly communicates product ingredients, including fragrances, dyes and preservatives.  
• SC Johnson continued to make strides using its patented Greenlist™ process, with use of “Better” and “Best” rated materials increasing to 47 percent of total materials.
• Through cogeneration with landfill gas, wind power and biofuels, approximately 36 percent of SC Johnson’s total electricity usage worldwide came from renewable energy.
• SC Johnson cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at its worldwide factories by 27 percent during the last eight years, including all its United States operations by 17 percent since 2005. These reductions – achieved three full years ahead of the company’s 2011 target – are the equivalent of taking approximately 11,100 U.S. cars off the road for one year².
• SC Johnson continued to educate about malaria, dengue and other insect-borne diseases, including joining the Global Business Coalition on HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, and working as part of the Clinton Global Initiative.
• The company’s base of the pyramid efforts in Kenya and other countries continued, and it has kicked off a supply chain initiative with Rwandan pyrethrum farmers and the Borlaug Institute at Texas A&M.
• SC Johnson continued to provide valued support to the communities where we operate, with our 10-year cumulative giving surpassing $180 million.
• The company sets aside 5 percent of pre-tax profits globally for corporate giving – nearly four times the average – and works with partners, such as Conservation International. Around the world, our subsidiary companies contribute an average of 2 percent of pre-tax profits and partner with local foundations.

It’s Not Enough

The progress is apparent but all of the efforts are not enough. The company seeks new solutions that are both progressive and sustainable by going after innovation which will help it to ensure its progress is more a leap forward rather than simply a step. By partnering with organizations and people in the U.S. and around the globe, the company has set the bar higher than before with the goal to find aggressive solutions for protecting our resources even as we use them and invites others to join them.

About the Public Report

SC Johnson’s 2009 Public Report, published today, is the company’s 18th year of publicly reporting its progress on sustainability objectives. Along with announcing GHG reductions, it covers SC Johnson’s new ingredient disclosure initiative, base of the pyramid partnerships and more than $180 million in philanthropic contributions over the past 10 years. The report also helps continue important dialogue about sustainability by including thought leaders’ perspectives on sustainability topics.

To minimize waste, SC Johnson limits printed editions of its Public Report and encourages distribution via the Internet at www.scjohnson.com The report uses paper with a postconsumer recycled percentage of 15 percent, and was manufactured with renewable wind power. The book also uses UV inks and low-VOC emitting press solutions and coatings, which produce virtually zero VOCs. To offset the carbon emissions associated with printing and distributing the report, SC Johnson once again made a contribution through Conservation International, supporting restoration of an area of southwest China that has tremendous endemic plant diversity and is home to half of China’s birds and mammals.

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, ECHO®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, and MR. MUSCLE®. The 123-year old company, with more than $8 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in more than 110 countries. www.scjohnson.com

^{1 Iconoculture}

^{2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}